If there is agreement on a new EU treaty over the coming days another referendum will be held in Ireland. This is a legal requirement that has been in place ever since the Crotty judgment of the mid-1980s. This means we will be voting for the sixth time on a new EU treaty since 1987. This should be seen as an opportunity for a broader debate on the work of the EU's institutions and the role Ireland is playing within this evolving political and economic entity. However, I do not agree with the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, who recently stated that countries which did not support a new European treaty would have problems continuing their membership of the European Union. Mr. Prodi's warning shot to EU Governments and citizens is a highly unwelcome development and should be criticised in its entirety. It does not contribute one iota to the positive role of the debate that is taking place about the future of the EU.