If the electorate refused to endorse the Amsterdam Treaty on May 22nd it would leave this State "in a dangerous state of limbo", the Taoiseach warned yesterday.
Opening Fianna Fail's campaign in Dublin for a Yes vote, Mr Ahern said there had been an attempt by some of the No lobbyists to try to say the Amsterdam Treaty was not progressive. However, while this argument might have been made in the past, this was not the case today.
Addressing most of his parliamentary party and the media, he offered fresh assurances that no decision could be made in relation to Ireland's neutrality without referring back to the people. Fianna Fail had been the chief architect and defender of the policy of Irish neutrality and nowhere in the treaty was Ireland committed, even in principle, to joining a "nuclear-based military alliance".
"We have no intention of doing so . . . It would be folly to deprive ourselves of the real benefits of full EU membership because of unfounded fears about the single issue of neutrality which has survived for 25 years, despite all the repeated dire predictions," Mr Ahern said.
Ireland would continue to lend its support to "crisis management situations" - as it has done for 40 years - but the Government was not prepared to break away from the traditional neutral position.
"That is not something we are going to do now, or in the future - except the people decide to do otherwise. But, certainly, this party would not be recommending any change in the long term," Mr Ahern added.
Ireland had attracted investment and jobs, and generated growth, not least because it was the only English-speaking country which was wholly and unequivocally committed to the EU.
"We have not allowed ourselves to be infected with the Euro-scepticism of left-wing Danes or right-wing English Tories," Mr Ahern said. Europe had given the country real freedom to develop, "which was denied us for generations by an overpowering neighbour".
"The only real alternative is to go back to living on the edge of Europe in Britain's shadow, but even they have ratified the Amsterdam Treaty," the Taoiseach said.
He would not conjure up any crude vision of additional billions of pounds from Europe today. Because of its rapid economic progress, Ireland's slice of structural aid would taper off after a period of transition, whatever about continuing eligibility under particular policies, or for particular sub-regions.
"Thanks to the wider benefits of membership of the European Union, we can look forward to the day when we will be able to largely stand on our own two feet without any particular ill-effects," Mr Ahern added.
According to the Minister for Education, Mr Martin, the treaty clearly required unanimity among all member-states in relation to any decisions on a common foreign policy and security. Ireland's right to military neutrality would remain as would the right to opt out of military arrangements.
The Minister of State for Labour Affairs, Mr Kitt, said Ireland would have a veto on the defence issue at a number of levels.