EMBASSY MEETING:FRENCH PRESIDENT Nicolas Sarkozy told leading figures from the Yes and No campaigns yesterday that he did not believe the impasse over Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty could be resolved before the French presidency of the EU ends in December.
Mr Sarkozy was responding to observations made by former Fine Gael leader Alan Dukes at a round-table meeting involving some 20 representatives from political and civil society groups at the French ambassador's residence on Ailesbury Road yesterday afternoon, which was not open to the media.
"I put it to him that I didn't think a solution could be found before the end of the French presidency and he agreed," Mr Dukes said afterwards.
Referring to the same remarks, Billy Timmins TD, representing Fine Gael, said it was the "most important and tangible thing" to come out of the meeting.
Several attendees described the meeting, which lasted almost two hours, as broadly constructive and Mr Sarkozy as engaged and responsive. A number welcomed the fact that Mr Sarkozy had acknowledged the Lisbon Treaty could also have been rejected in France if it had been put to a referendum.
"He said quite a few times . . . that there are lots of people in France that feel the same way," said Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.
Mr Adams, whose party was the only Dáil party to campaign against the treaty, told Mr Sarkozy there could be no rerun.
"We told him there was clearly a need for a new treaty and that that new treaty needs to be negotiated out under his presidency with as much progress made as possible," Mr Adams said.
Joe Costello TD, representing the Labour Party, told Mr Sarkozy that Ireland should not be isolated because of its rejection of the treaty.
"Timescales relating to EU presidencies, EU elections and proposed changes to the EU architecture should not stand in the way of finding an equitable solution to the present rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by the Irish electorate and to planning an agreed, collective way forward for the EU," Mr Costello said.
Ibec director Turlough O'Sullivan said: "The challenge for both Irish and EU politicians is to find a means of honestly and openly addressing Irish worries, be they directly or indirectly linked to the specific text of the Lisbon Treaty, while at the same time not undermining the cohesiveness of the union as a whole."
Ictu general secretary David Begg said he told Mr Sarkozy that while Ictu had campaigned for a Yes vote in last month's referendum, there is considerable unease among workers about the direction the EU is taking.
Former Green Party MEP Patricia McKenna was disappointed with the meeting. "We went through the motions. He is not getting the message," she said.
"He wants the Irish people to put this treaty through by a referendum or by whatever means necessary," she added.
Libertas founder Declan Ganley said he attempted to counter Mr Sarkozy's insistence that ratification continue. "I tried to get him to recognise the fact that the Lisbon Treaty is dead. The most worrying thing about the meeting is the fact that clearly the message is not being properly heard, perhaps not even being heard at all, that we have said No."
Independent TD and No campaigner Finian McGrath said he outlined what he considered to be the reasons Irish people voted against the Lisbon Treaty, including the feeling Europe was "talking down" to them.
"I felt he is looking for a solution to the issue," Mr McGrath said afterwards. "He was determined to work with the Irish people."
Mr McGrath confirmed the Taoiseach's office arranged for him to attend the meeting at the embassy. He told The Irish Times last night: "I asked Brian Cowen personally, in conversation and in writing 10 days ago; the Government came back to me last Thursday; and the French embassy contacted me on Friday to confirm it."
Former European Parliament president Pat Cox told the meeting that any potential solution will need to be thought through very carefully and prudently to ensure that a balance is struck between what is legally allowable and politically desirable.