Fine Gael is planning a series of 16 public meetings on the Nice Treaty at locations throughout the state in September and early October. "They are going to be fairly major sessions," the new party leader, Mr Enda Kenny told The Irish Times.
"We are going to take a big initiative on the referendum, inviting the public to hear the arguments surrounding Nice and explaining why Fine Gael believes it is in the best interests of the Irish people to vote for the treaty."
Mr Kenny said it was clear from consultations with party supporters that, despite suggestions to the contrary, the people of Ireland took a keen interest in European issues. "There is a clear danger that the people could vote against Nice as a punishment for the Government for pulling the wool over their eyes and not explaining it." Beginning in Navan, Co Meath on September 5th, the party's "open forums" on Europe will be held in Carlow, Sligo, Cootehill, Galway, Cork, Limerick, Clonmel, Castlebar, Athlone, Killarney, Millstreet, Donegal, and three locations in Dublin - "northside, southside and westside".
"It is clear that the issues people are concerned about in most cases have nothing to do with Nice at all," Mr Kenny said. The biggest problem was that EU directives and regulations were being implemented in Ireland "with a great lack of commonsense and a great deal of bureaucracy".
"That's what annoys people. Their view of Nice is coloured by the intrusion of Europe into their daily lives."