The Government has pledged that any future proposal requiring Ireland to make a mutual defence commitment with the other EU member-states will be put to a further referendum for decision.
In a letter this week to the chairmen of two Oireachtas committees, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, said Ireland's policy of military neutrality will remain unaffected if the Amsterdam Treaty is ratified in the referendum due this year.
Claims that the treaty does undermine neutrality are expected to be made by its opponents in the forthcoming campaign.
Clearly with this in mind, Mr Andrews said: "I wish to place on record the Government's position that, if the issue of an EU common defence, which would involve a mutual defence commitment by Ireland, were to arise for decision in the future it would be put to the Irish people for decision in a referendum."
The last two governments pledged to hold a referendum on any proposal that would affect Ireland's military neutrality.
Mr Andrews's commitment spells out this Government's view that to affect military neutrality, a proposal would have to involve "a mutual defence commitment by Ireland".
Meanwhile, the Green Party has criticised the thrust of the Government's proposed wording of the constitutional amendment to ratify the treaty.
Details of this were contained in a confidential document reported in yesterday's Irish Times.
According to Green TD, Mr John Gormley, the wording would "give the Government a blank cheque and seriously undermine Irish neutrality". According to the document it will authorise the State "to take every option and to exercise every discretion provided by the European Communities, European Union and Amsterdam Treaties".
Mr Gormley said: "This leaves the door open to make further security and defence commitments without holding a referendum. The Irish people should not be duped or sleepwalk into any military alliance.
"It is extremely important that the issues are fully debated and that the Irish people make an informed decision on the Amsterdam Treaty."
The Dublin Labour MEP, Ms Bernie Malone, has called on the Government to explicitly exclude defence from the terms a "discretionary clause" to be put to the electorate in the constitutional amendment ratifying the Amsterdam Treaty.
She supported the Government in the move to enable Ireland to co-operate more closely with its European partners in, say, tackling the international drugs trade or abolishing border controls without having to hold a referendum each time.
Ms Malone warned: "If the Government does not specifically exclude defence from a discretionary clause, not only does it risk breaking a long-standing promise to the people but it is also giving free rein to every extremist group to make all kinds of outlandish claims about Amsterdam".
The Government's proposals for the constitutional amendment on the Amsterdam Treaty has also been criticised by the Democratic Left leader, Mr Proinsias De Rossa.
The proposed amendment was far too wide in its scope and was likely to lead to people who had no problem with the treaty as it stood voting No in the referendum.