The former Labour leader Mr Ruairí Quinn has suggested a schools programme to encourage a greater awareness of European affairs.

Mr Quinn said that during the Nice campaign it had been very difficult to engage people about the proposed changes in the EU's decision-making rules.

He suggested a Government initiative "whereby some form of information, communication, wall-chart or whatever would be put up in every primary and secondary school classroom showing how decisions are made in the EU".

He recalled that in 1966, on the 50th anniversary of the Rising, a wall chart and documentation were supplied to every classroom. "It is impossible to discuss changes in the off-side rule in soccer if people do not know what the primary rule is.

"It is virtually impossible to have a rational debate with people, many of whom are influential in society, about changes in the operation of the EU if they do not fundamentally understand the role of the Commission, the responsibility of the Council of Ministers, the role of the Parliament and the powers of the Court of Justice in Luxembourg."

Mr Quinn was speaking during a debate on the European Communities (Amendment) Bill, which the Minister of State for Justice, Mr Brian Lenihan, who introduced it, said was a necessary technical measure to prepare for Ireland's ratification of the Nice Treaty.

Mr Quinn described as "seriously disturbing" an article by Denis Staunton in yesterday's Irish Times. "It confirms the isolation of the Irish Government and, as someone who had the privilege to be in the same position as the Minister of State, it confirms an Iveagh House/Department of Finance congenital response about which I have written and spoken elsewhere. It runs, as follows: 'Let us not put our head above the parapet in respect of anything.

"'Let us wait and see as to what is emerging. Let us be agreed as to what it is we are opposed to and not look for allies for anything for which we might actually have a positive view upon, because we do not need to, in fact, have a positive view on anything because we are net recipients of largesse from Europe. Therefore, let us not rock the boat but defend our own interests'."

The Fine Gael spokesman on foreign affairs, Mr Jim O'Keeffe, also referred to the The Irish Times article, which, he said, had outlined very tellingly the Government's lack of input to the Convention on the Future of Europe.

"The contrast between the approach adopted by the Government to the convention, and that of other governments, is becoming clear. The two major continental powers, Germany and France, now that their relationship has been restored, have recently appointed their Foreign Ministers as representatives at the convention."

Mr John Gormley (Green Party) said he could think of many things the young people of Europe might want, such as more sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, but he was sure that most of them did not know what qualified majority voting was. "We need to be realistic when we are talking about citizens. The citizens do not know about qualified majority voting, but they want to be involved in the European project. The one good thing about the referendum process is that our citizens know more about the Nice Treaty than those of any other EU member-state.

"We require more involvement from the citizens of Europe and it can be done if the proper institutional changes are made."

Mr Lenihan said it was probably true that Irish governments had tended to take comfort from the strong support towards the EU, assuming it would automatically translate itself into a favourable outcome in any referendum.

"From that point of view, the result of the first referendum was, in many ways, a wake-up call. It forced us to do more to listen, to explain and to respond to the concerns people raised."