"The IGC continues." So said the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, after negotiations to complete the European Union constitutional treaty were suspended in Brussels on Saturday. Ireland is to report an assessment of how to re-open them to another summit in March, under the Irish EU presidency.
Mr Ahern and other leaders insisted it is not a breakdown or a major crisis. Rather it is that more time and debate are required to conclude what Mr Ahern described as "a huge project, a fundamental change for the whole of Europe", as the union enlarges to 25 states and puts in place new structures to govern itself more effectively.
Taking full account of politicians' temptation to disguise a failure, it is difficult not to agree with their assessment of what happened at this summit. Following intensive bilateral meetings there was no basis for reaching a settlement on the key issue at stake - a proposed new system of decision-making, in which a majority of member-states representing at least 60 per cent of the EU's population would be necessary to carry the day. Poland and Spain rejected it in favour of the formula agreed at Nice in 2000, which gives them nearly as many votes as Germany, France, Britain and Italy.
Germany, with strong support from France, refuses to accept this. Four alternatives were put forward by the Italian presidency but all proved unacceptable to one or other of the key players. While the summit participants paid tribute to the Italians, there was considerable frustration with Mr Silvio Berlusconi's clumsy tactics.
However, he can hardly be blamed for the failure to agree, despite some willingness to move by the Poles and Spaniards. There is no indication that had the leaders continued intensively through the night they would have reached agreement. It was sensible to quit there and then and avoid the rancour which might have resulted from a complete breakdown.
There is a widespread feeling it will be possible to find a solution next year and Ireland will be right at the centre of this important episode in European politics. Mr Ahern has a great deal of experience in EU negotiations and is relaxed about taking on this onerous burden. However, he knows better then to promise that the impasse will be resolved to everyone's satisfaction during the Irish presidency. Mr Ahern and his team will make every effort to narrow the differences between the states but in the end it may fall to the succeeding Dutch presidency to seal an agreement. Both the Irish and Dutch governments will struggle to ring-fence the substantial progress already made on the treaty but they must prevail.