Several weeks ago the Irish people voted against the EU reform treaty. The European Affairs Minister, Dick Roche, is reported to have said that another referendum would be held in the future.

I believe that probably this would be a useless exercise. Most, if not all, European member states who ratified this treaty did so by a parliamentary vote. Maybe the Irish Constitution does not permit its parliament to approve such a type of legislation except by a referendum. So the best way to accept this EU reform treaty is by amending the Irish Constitution. However that's easier said than done!

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