Ms Sile de Valera has broken ranks with Government policy by publicly questioning Ireland's role in the EU and arguing against closer European integration.
In a controversial speech delivered last night in Boston, Ms de Valera said directives and regulations agreed in Brussels often "seriously impinge on our identity, culture and traditions". Senior Government sources expressed surprise at Ms de Valera's hard-hitting comments. They will also cause serious embarrassment for Ireland at European level.
The move was seen as a solo run by the Minister, who did not inform the Taoiseach or her Cabinet colleagues of her plan to question Ireland's role in Europe in such a public manner.
Ms de Valera's script was circulated to the media last night by her departmental press office, and she was not available last night to elaborate on her comments.
In her speech, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands said she did not favour the push towards further European integration.
In July the Tanaiste and PD leader, Ms Harney, also expressed concerns about European integration, saying it would be against the interests of Ireland, which she claimed was "spiritually a lot closer to Boston than Berlin".
Ms Harney had told a meeting of the American Bar Association that she was against a more centralised Europe with key political economic decisions being taken in Brussels.
A Government spokesman said he had no comment to make on Ms de Valera's speech.
Speaking in Boston College at the publication of The American Irish, by Prof Kevin Kenny, Ms de Valera said: "When we joined what was then the European Economic Community (EEC) in the early 1970s there were fears that membership would make us less Irish, would damage our unique identity, culture and traditions. It didn't happen. The emphasis in those earlier years was on economic progress and development.
"As the EEC developed into our European Community and later the European Union, decisions other than economic ones were taken. They seemed secondary at the time. But we have found that directives and regulations agreed in Brussels can often seriously impinge on our identity, culture and traditions.
"The bureaucracy of Brussels does not always respect the complexities and sensitivities of member-states," she said. "Brussels, Birmingham, the Burren; the same European Union, different worlds."
Ms de Valera said that while participation in the European Union had been good for Ireland, "it is not the cornerstone of what our nation is and should be".
The Minister said the Government was promoting policies of decentralisation. But in the European Union, the opposite was taking place with the push towards closer integration.
"It is a move I would not personally favour. It is not necessarily in our interests," she said.
Ms de Valera said the European Union was on course to almost double in size. "With enlargement the emphasis will shift towards the east." She urged Ireland to exercise "a more vigilant, a more questioning attitude to the European Union."
In a reference to neutrality, Ms de Valera said: "Neutrality does not mean burying our heads in the sand and taking no part in debate. In fact, for me it means the opposite. It means bringing in this case to the EU table views that are free, fair and unencumbered. In simple language it means bringing no baggage to the table."