Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 51: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in regard to the ratification of the EU Constitution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4373/07]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 58: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the possible ratification of the treaty establishing a European Constitution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3937/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 193: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress to be made towards the ratification of the European Constitution under the German Presidency of the European Union; if he has discussed the Government's position on the ratification of the European Constitution with his German counterpart; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4446/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 51, 58 and 193 together.

To date, eighteen Member States have ratified the Constitutional Treaty. Luxembourg and Spain have done so by referendum, while sixteen Member States have ratified by parliamentary means. As the House is aware, the Constitutional Treaty was rejected in referendums held in France and the Netherlands in 2005.

Following the outcome to the referendums in France and the Netherlands, the European Council initiated a period of reflection in order to allow time for further consideration of how to proceed with the Constitutional Treaty. In June 2006, the European Council agreed to extend the reflection period for another year and to focus also on the Union's delivery of tangible results to EU citizens.

The European Council mandated the Presidency to consult extensively with Member States and to present a report to the European Council in June 2007. That report is to contain an assessment of the state of discussions with regard to the Constitutional Treaty and to explore possible future steps. The report is intended to assist the European Council to take the necessary decisions on the Constitutional Treaty; these are expected during the second half of 2008 at the latest.

In line with its mandate from the European Council, the German Presidency is currently holding a series of bilateral consultations with Member States. In these discussions, we re-iterated Ireland's strong commitment to the Treaty as agreed by Heads of State and Government in 2004, and affirmed our readiness to proceed with ratification once there is clarity on the way forward at EU level. The Presidency was advised of our view that the Constitutional Treaty is a carefully constructed package and remains the best available means for equipping the Union to meet the challenges facing us now and into the future. For this reason, we believe that any attempt to alter the essential balance and substance of the draft Treaty would be unlikely to succeed.

We have also made clear our position on the Treaty in our ongoing contact with the Presidency, both at Ministerial and official level. Ireland strongly supports the efforts of the German Presidency, both with regard to the proposed Berlin Declaration as well as to their ongoing work to find a way forward for the Constitution.