Irish proposals for combating social exclusion, included in the Nice Treaty, will help ensure that it will be a "priority objective" for the EU, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, has said.
In a submission to the Referendum Commission, Mr Ahern explained the Nice Treaty provided for close co-operation between member-states in modernising their social protection systems and combating social exclusion.
Provision was also made for the creation of a permanent Social Protection Committee with senior officials representing all member-states.
This committee would co-ordinate the process and report to the Council of Ministers and to the heads of state and government.
According to Mr Ahern, "meeting the challenge to maintain and improve our systems of social protection is now a core priority at the highest levels and will remain so by virtue of the new social provisions".
He said the Nice Treaty "is not just about how a future enlarged EU will function", but also "about the kind of EU it will help to create".