The Taoiseach has no plans to resign if the Nice Treaty is defeated again in this weekend's referendum. Asked by a Danish journalist if he would step down in the event of a No vote, Mr Ahern said: "No, I won't."
In a joint news conference with the Danish Prime Minister, Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Mr Ahern said: "What I am working to ensure is that we won't even have to dream about that." Since the last referendum, the Government had worked "extremely hard" to address the issues which created difficulties for people.
Asked if a delay in enlargement of, say, two years would really be so damaging, Mr Ahern said: "In my view it would be a disaster." He was one of the negotiators at Nice and believed it was a good agreement for Ireland and other small countries.
Mr Rasmussen said the purpose of his visit was to prepare for the EU summit in Brussels on October 24th and 25th. "The Danish presidency of the EU has set a very clear timetable: we aim at concluding negotiations with up to 10 candidate countries at the Copenhagen summit in December. The Brussels summit next week is the first step in this process."
He disclaimed any intention to interfere in the referendum campaign. "We are at a historic crossroads in Europe. We have a historic chance to reunite Europe."
Approval of the Nice Treaty was necessary if enlargement was to be carried through on schedule, The Irish people knew the "vital importance" of the vote. Nice was the "legal and political framework" for enlargement.
"If the Nice Treaty is not ratified we are facing an unpredictable and unprecedented crisis."
Addressing a seminar on Nice organised by the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the ICTU general secretary, Mr David Begg said: "Those who claim that article 133 of the Treaty will lead to wholesale privatisation and deterioration of our public services are misleading people in an attempt to frighten them into voting against the Treaty."