The Government are deeply disappointed by the referendum result on the Nice Treaty. I am also disappointed that all of us on the Yes side, the Government, the main political parties and the social partners, were not able to persuade a higher number of voters to participate in making such an important decision.
The result will come as an unexpected shock to our partners and to the applicant countries, who are due to meet in Gothenburg at the end of next week, and who now face a potential additional obstacle to the timetable for enlargement. I am convinced, nevertheless, that the Irish people welcome enlargement.
I fully respect the outcome of this referendum, and we will need to study the lessons from it. They extend beyond Ireland.
As other countries have experienced, referendums on complex and controversial issues can lead to very tight results. While I am certain that the vast majority of the Irish people remain strongly committed to the European Union and to enlargement, it is clear that there are genuine anxieties and concerns about the future, including about continuing democratic accountability in each member-state, which go well beyond the terms of the treaty itself. We are going to have to reflect deeply on how those may best be addressed.
I have to admit that those of us on the Yes side have obviously not succeeded in this campaign in overcoming the negative public fears and perceptions, which in many cases were generated around issues largely outside of the treaty. This is despite active campaigns in the last few weeks, and a lot of public information work since the Nice Treaty was negotiated last December.
The Government remain firmly committed to achieving enlargement on schedule. This is the top priority for the European Union and is supported by parties on both sides of the campaign. Despite what has been said during the campaign, ratification of the Treaty of Nice is regarded by all our partners, as well as by the accession candidates, as an essential requirement for enlargement, and it is an issue to which we will need to return. I personally remain convinced of the case for the Nice Treaty.
The Government will urgently be reviewing all the factors which may have led to this result. We will be talking to other parties and organisations involved and listening very carefully. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, and I will be having preliminary discussions with our European colleagues next week, at the General Affairs Council on Monday and the European Council later in the week. A number have already been in direct contact.
I am conscious that the difficulty will not be easy to resolve. We need to take our time, however, to consider and consult and so the Government will not be coming to any hasty conclusions about the next steps.