Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The issues concern who has the powers, how decisions are made, and how structures will operate. All the matters that were in the European Constitution must be dealt with one way or another, whether through a working document or in some other way, otherwise it will not be possible to continue. Even though, as I believe, this could drag on until 2007 or 2008, it will still have to be dealt with. I have made that point clear in the European Council and I will continue to argue that we must find a mechanism for doing it.

Perhaps, in the first place, the best mechanism for doing it was not via a constitution, but others saw it differently. Some of the people who fought for that constitution five or six years ago are already beginning to advocate other ways around it. Perhaps it would have been better if they had thought about that before they pushed everyone into a convention some years ago. However, that is how these matters work. Six or seven years have passed but the issues remain to be dealt with because it is not possible to drop them. One can call the methodology whatever one wishes, but the treaty changes to modernise the Union will have to happen.

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