Ireland will support moves towards lifting diplomatic sanctions against Austria, although opinion poll data produced by the Austrian government yesterday suggests the Irish public strongly supports the sanctions.
While the European Council yesterday failed to make progress on the matter, the Portuguese EU presidency is believed to be planning to attempt to devise a strategy which would end the sanctions before the end of June.
As the Portuguese prepared to begin a round of contacts with the other 13 member-states which have imposed the sanctions, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said he would like to see a "road map" agreed with which moves could be made towards the ending of the sanctions.
With the French - strong supporters of the sanctions - due to take over the EU presidency on July 1st, there is added urgency among supporters of a relaxation of the sanctions to make progress before then.
The sanctions, imposed last January when the far-right Freedom Party entered Austria's coalition government, involve restrictions on bilateral meetings between the other 14 EU states and Austria.
Despite suggestions of a compromise, Portugal's deputy foreign minister, Mr Francisco Seixas da Costa, indicated last night that a relaxation of the measures was not assured.
Meanwhile, poll data released by the Austrian government yesterday showed the Irish public among the strongest supporters of the sanctions. Just 50 per cent of Irish people say they are informed about the EU sanctions against Austria, according to the opinion poll, carried out on behalf of the Austrian government in the other 14 EU states and Hungary.
Of those in Ireland who said they were informed, 52 per cent think the sanctions are right, 28 per cent say they are wrong, with 20 per cent declining to answer.
The poll, carried out by the GfK international opinion research group, was conducted in Ireland among 500 people by the GfK-UK organisation. The public in eight of the 14 states agrees with the sanctions, according to the poll results, although in France and Germany a majority opposes them.
The Austrian Chancellor, Mr Wolfgang Schussel, yesterday appealed to his EU colleagues to lift the sanctions which, he said, were "undermining and poisoning the ideal of Europe" in his country. The Portuguese Prime Minister, Mr Antonio Guterres, said on behalf of the 14 that there were "matters of the principles and the values of the EU involved", but that he would be working behind the scenes to try to seek a resolution.
On his way into yesterday's meeting, Mr Ahern said Austria had moved to meet the concerns of the 14 in recent months, and a reciprocal gesture by the 14 was warranted. "We certainly would like to see at least a strategy worked out where these issues can be resolved," Mr Ahern said.