The need for a thorough debate on Ireland's role in the EU was stressed at the weekend by groups and parties which campaigned against the Nice Treaty, but there was considerable opposition to a second referendum.
Mr Justin Barrett of the No to Nice Campaign said it was "total arrogance" to speak of getting the people to change their minds. "The Government has to accept that the people have rejected the treaty."
There should be "a major consultation process" with citizens' groups throughout the member-states. "All the interested parties could make submissions, both written and oral, on the future of the EU." Five candidate countries should now be admitted to EU membership, as provided under the terms of the Amsterdam Treaty, he said.
The national secretary of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA), Mr Feargus Mac Aogain, said attaching a declaration in support of Irish neutrality to the treaty was a "non-runner" but, stressing that he was speaking personally, he believed the PANA executive committee would favourably consider a neutrality protocol. "It would have to be very strong: that Ireland would not participate in or pay for the Rapid Reaction Force."
A spokesman for Sinn Fein said neutrality was only one of the issues highlighted by the party in its referendum campaign. As regards a protocol, "we would have to see what emerged." He added: "This notion that you can keep going back to the people until you get it right is totally unacceptable."
Green Party MEP for Dublin Ms Patricia McKenna said it was "outrageous" that a second referendum was reportedly being considered by the Government. "I think they are going to try and attach some kind of declaration which would be absolutely legally worthless because it's not part of the treaty."
She called on the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to veto ratification of the treaty by the other member-states when he attends this week's Gothenberg Summit, until the process had been completed in Ireland. "My fear is that he is going to conspire with the other EU leaders against the Irish electorate."
While she would welcome an amendment to the Irish Constitution to enshrine the principle of neutrality, that would not be sufficient to permit the Nice Treaty to go unchallenged. There were "fundamental problems" with Nice, such as enhanced co-operation, the extension of qualified majority voting and new powers for the President of the Commission. "They are all things we would want [to get] rid of."
Welcoming the referendum result, the peace and human rights group, AfrI (Action from Ireland), said it was "a decisive rejection of militarism". The Government must respect the wishes of the electorate. "People were alarmed that we were being sucked into a European army and they voted to reverse that process."
AfrI co-ordinator Mr Joe Murray said: "The Government has signed us up to NATO's Partnership for Peace without allowing us the referendum they promised, and with the Nice Treaty they tried to copper fasten that by committing us to a NATO-EU army - the people have said enough is enough." A thorough and honest debate about Irish defence and security policy was now required.