Irish voters need “legally binding” assurances to address their concerns after they rejected the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said today.
"If the Treaty of Lisbon is to enter into force, it requires the agreement of all member states," he said today in Brussels. "If that is to be secured, the concerns of the Irish people will have to be addressed in a clear and convincing manner by means of legally binding assurances."
Mr Martin was speaking before a European Union summit on December 11th, when political leaders will discuss ways forward after Ireland rejected the treaty in a June referendum.
The Government has said it will decide this month whether or not to hold a second referendum.
A poll in
The Irish Timeslast month suggested voters may pass the accord in a second ballot if Ireland is allowed to retain its EU commissioner and receives assurances in areas including taxation and neutrality.
"We need to be able to reassure our people that their genuinely held concerns have been taken on board," Mr Martin said. "The current situation represents a test of the union's capacity to accommodate our respective needs."