Taoiseach to respond to McCreevy remarks

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, is expected to respond today to the controversial comments by Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, last night regarding Ireland’s rejection of the Nice Treaty.

Mr McCreevy described the Irish rejection of the Treaty as a "remarkably healthy development" and an anti-establishment statement of which the people should be proud.

Mr McCreevy, who said that he had voted Yes in the referendum, claimed he stood by his past criticisms of the EU and that his views were shared by the majority of Irish political representatives and most of the people of Ireland and Europe.

His remarks come as he and the Taoiseach attend the last day of the EU Summit meeting in Gothenburg. The Government is hoping to secure agreements from the EU before the end of the year, in an attempt to address voters' concerns about the treaty. But the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has left open the timing of any second referendum and yesterday declined to confirm that any such vote would take place.

Mr McCreevy's remarks were criticised last night by the Opposition leaders. The Fine Gael leader, Mr Michael Noonan, described the comments as "reckless beyond belief" and accused the Minister of displaying "hubris and arrogance".

The Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairí Quinn, described Mr McCreevy's comments as a "bizarre" intervention that could damage Ireland's standing in the EU and challenged the authority of the Taoiseach.