Second Lisbon Referendum For October

The Taoiseach has announced in the Dáil that the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty will take place on Friday 2 October.

After securing legal guarantees settling previous concerns that led to a 'No' vote last June, Mr Cowen (pictured here) said he recommended to the Government that they return to the people to seek their approval for Ireland to ratify the treaty.

The Irish electorate rejected the Treaty on 12 June last year by a margin of 53.4% to 46.6% with a total of 752,451 people voting in favour and 862,415 voting against.

The guarantees ensure Irish control over tax rates, military neutrality and the Irish Constitution's provisions on social and family law, including no repeal of Ireland's ban on abortion.

The Taoiseach said the guarantees, which also include a declaration on workers' rights, and the decision taken last December that every country will keep its own commissioner, would enable him to go back to the Government and recommend the holding of a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

The news comes during the visit of EU Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who is making his first official state visit in Ireland this week.

The failure of the previous referendum was credited to a confusing campaign by the government, which included a number of gaffs, such as recommendations that the public should not read the document by Government Ministers as it was "too complicated".

Rules governing media coverage, which specified equal time devoted to the 'Yes' and 'No' camp were also blamed for over representing those against the Treaty, which was being pushed primarily by Libertas and Sinn Féin.

(DW/BMcC)