SINN FÉIN:The retention of an Irish commissioner is central to any renegotiation of the Lisbon Treaty, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said yesterday.
Mr Adams outlined his views on how a new treaty could be negotiated by the Government and the protocols and opts-out he would like to see.
He said that as well as the retention of a commissioner, vetoes would be required on tax and public services and international trade. "I think we have to have a very specific article which protects our neutrality," he said.
He said Ireland's opts-out should be in the areas of expenditure on nuclear power, enhancement of military capability, greater protection for workers' rights and active promotion of fair trade over free trade.
Mr Adams, who was speaking on RTÉ's This Week programme, said his party wants to meet Taoiseach Brian Cowen before he travels to Brussels this week for his first summit meeting.
"We [want] to express our views on how our new treaty can be negotiated. We fought this campaign as an independent party, the only parliamentary party to do so. Our strategy as we see it is to [make sure] the points we made can be factored into the Government's thinking," he said.
Mr Adams described the referendum result as a big victory for common sense and democracy and said the Government must not fumble the ball.
going ahead without us," he said. There's was a possibility that some within the Yes camp wanted to do what was done after the first Nice One,referendum, which iwas "to acquiesce and to go ahead with Nice Two without change".
"The Taoiseach won't need a team talk from me but he needs to go back and tell the EU what they know already, that treaties need support from all the states, that this treaty is finished, that a new treaty is required," he said.
Mr Adams accepted there could be a second referendum, but only if there was a renegotiation. He said a little tweaking with the text would be unacceptable to his party.
He said the No vote had been a resounding one and a consensus had formed around that.
"I am quite concerned that the Government could send wrong signals to the more powerful states, to go off apologetically. I hear some of the commentary and some of the media about the reception. It's as if the Taoiseach was going off like a Christian to the lions. This is nonsensical stuff," Mr Adams said.
