Voting No could make Ireland a problem member of EU - Bruton

The lack of an EU Rapid Reaction Force would work adversely against Ireland's national interests, according to the former Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton.

He told the Forum on Europe that the ideas of peacekeeping and peacemaking are not totally altruistic. If there was a war in Africa, "which we were unable to deal with and no one else wanted to deal with, it could lead to large refugee flows which could impact directly on Ireland".

Mr Bruton, the only Fine Gael TD to address the forum, also said that if Ireland is seen as a "problem country" on Treaty referendums, it could affect the quality of its position within the EU.

Fine Gael is boycotting its proceedings. He addressed the forum as a member of the new Convention on Europe and as the rapporteur of a 46-page report on the future of Europe, for the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs, which he said reflected cross-party views.

He said that Ireland could be seen as a problem member if it were to be a consistent no voter in EU referendums. "It is fine on fundamental issues but if on EU housekeeping matters if only one of the 27 countries voted no on every issue, the EU would begin to look at Ireland's representatives at the negotiating table as not being able to deliver.

He said the treaty represented a consensus. It was not very elegant and there were a number of inconsistencies but if it were to be renegotiated, the "outcome for smaller countries should probably be worse".

Cllr Dan Boyle of the Green Party, said the document implied that the Amsterdam and Maastricht treaties did bring the EU closer to a Common Foreign and Security Policy, despite what Yes campaigners said. He also said that Irish people were characteristically against any aggressive military alliance.

Mr Bruton said that is because it is an island nation. "We don't need an EU defence system as much as others, perhaps. We have the sea to defend us but increasingly things can happen which can cross the water."

The Irish people had to be confronted about being the "one country most insulated from the world's worries is the one which would stop everybody else".

He pointed out that according to the latest EU barometer poll 50 per cent of Irish people were in favour of a Common European Defence.

Senator Fergal Quinn asked if Ireland could have "perks" like the Danes, after they voted no in a previous referendum. Mr Bruton said that a recent Danish White paper had shown it was unhappy with its own opt-out clauses because it was being sidelined, and no longer at the centre of EU decisions.