TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen insisted yesterday that there were no obvious solutions to the crisis posed by the Lisbon Treaty referendum defeat as most other European Union governments signalled over the weekend that they are not willing to open up the treaty for serious renegotiation.
A Government source said Mr Cowen's primary concern was to do everything possible to avoid the nightmare scenario of the other 26 countries agreeing to proceed with a new treaty that excludes Ireland.
The Taoiseach will assess the attitude of the other governments at the EU summit in Brussels later this week. "I have to use my position now to try and make sure that our interests are not compromised and not undermined," Mr Cowen said on the This Weekprogramme on RTÉ radio.
The most outspoken criticism of Ireland came from German foreign minister Frank Walter Steinmeier who suggested that this country should take "a break" from the EU to allow other member states continue with integration.
Mr Steinmeier suggested "Ireland could exit the integration process for a time to clear the way for the Lisbon Treaty to come into force in 26 countries".
The German foreign minister is a leading member of the Social Democrat party (SPD), which governs Germany in coalition with the Christian Democrat party (CDU) of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
A CDU spokesman insisted Mr Steinmeier was speaking for himself and not the government. "The foreign minister spoke as foreign minister, the chancellor made her position very clear on Friday, to wait and see what the Irish Government has to say," he said.
There was some comfort for the Government from the British foreign secretary, David Milliband, who said it was up to Brian Cowen to decide if the "last rites" should be read over the Lisbon Treaty.
But he said that the British ratification process would continue.
Mr Milliband said there could be no question of "bulldozing" the Irish into overturning the results of last Thursday's referendum. He also flatly rejected the idea of a "two-speed" Europe
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin will today brief his ministerial colleagues on the referendum outcome at the monthly meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
The meeting will provide an important guide to the depth of anger felt in some EU capitals towards Ireland for failing to carry the referendum.
EU sources said yesterday that the preferred solution in Brussels is for the Government to consider holding a second referendum on the basis of the Lisbon text with additional protocols and declarations to cater for Irish concerns.
There is also speculation that EU states may agree to ensure that every country has the right to a permanent commissioner, rather than the right to a commissioner for 10 out of every 15 years under Lisbon.
But this could lead to legal complexities as member states that have already ratified the Lisbon treaty might have to re-ratify the text of Lisbon again. A change in the proposal for a rotating commissioner would be a crucial change that could allow the Government to hold a second referendum but it will take all other 26 states to agree.
Minister of State for European Affairs Dick Roche said time would have to be spent analysing all the options very carefully as there were fundamental decisions to make.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, speaking on RTÉ's The Week in Politics, said one of "the most worrying suggestions" was that "there is going to be a two-speed Europe, that the others would proceed without us. That would be disastrous for us".