Fine Gael has called for an EU declaration stating that the Nice Treaty does not oblige Ireland to join a European army or introduce conscription, and for agreement to attach a protocol to this effect to the next EU treaty.
The party's foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Jim O'Keeffe, told his party's ardfheis last night that such a declaration should be underpinned by domestic legislation specifying the conditions for any future participation by the Defence Forces in missions under an EU flag. He also called for a White Paper on security policy and military neutrality. Mr O'Keeffe accused the Government of having marginalised Ireland's vital national interests on the European stage. He dismissed the Forum on Europe, established by the Government, as "a talking shop to put off decisions until after the general election".
However, one of the party's candidates in the Dublin North East constituency, Mr Gavin Doyle, called on his party to abandon its policy of boycotting the forum. "Having witnessed many passionate debates in the forum myself, I am annoyed that neither I nor anyone else in Fine Gael is allowed to fight our corner."
He said the current policy was a break with Fine Gael tradition of fighting for EU integration.
"It is losing us support with thousands of pro-Europeans in this country who are looking for leadership on this issue and are bewildered by our decision to opt out of this welcome exercise in democracy."
Mr O'Keeffe said the challenge of uniting the European continent was "a historic mission, requiring the utmost effort to be made by every Government in each member-state.
"Tragically, the Irish Government has failed all of us, our EU partners and most especially the peoples of central and eastern Europe, as a result of the shambles that was the Nice referendum campaign".
He said Irish people had been generally supportive of European integration, and EU enlargement was almost universally welcomed in Ireland.
"But the present Government has failed us with in-fighting, parochial hostility, parish-pump politics and grandstanding for temporary gain - all presided over by a Taoiseach who took the people of Ireland for granted."
Fine Gael opposed membership for Ireland of international alliances such as NATO, he went on. But Ireland could not be neutral "in the conflict against international terrorism or in the struggle against ethnic cleansing.
"Fine Gael believes that there may be circumstances where Irish involvement is appropriate, and that Ireland has international responsibilities when faced with gross violations of human rights, or outrages against humanity.
" It is unacceptable for Ireland to merely rely in every case on the intervention of other states to uphold basic rights of life and liberty."
Fine Gael was an unashamedly nationalist party that believed in Irish unity by consent, the party's Northern Ireland spokesman, Mr Jimmy Deenihan, told the ardfheis.
He said the €2.37 million put by the Government into a fund to support cross-community initiatives was inadequate.
He called on the British authorities to provide as soon as possible the information sought by Mr Justice Barron's inquiry into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings.