The Minister for Foreign Affairs warned about the consequences of Ireland failing to ratify the Nice Treaty.

"To put it bluntly, the treaty is necessary for enlargement. If it does not enter into force, the accession process will be thrown into chaos," said Mr Cowen. "And for it to enter into force, it must be ratified by all 15 member states, including Ireland." For Ireland to fail to ratify the treaty would, he said, in the words of a Fine Gael private member's motion "impede or delay the accession of applicant states to the EU". He was sure, he added, that there was no wish in the House, or more widely throughout the State, for this to happen. "We have been assured by the great majority of those who have opposed the treaty that they do not oppose enlargement. I do not doubt their sincerity. But I do doubt their logic, because the inevitable consequence of a failure to ratify Nice would be to impede and delay enlargement." Mr Cowen welcomed the Fine Gael motion, which confirmed the Dβil's support for enlargement of the EU. He said that following the defeat of the referendum, a European Commission survey revealed high levels of public apathy and confusion about the treaty and the EU generally, which underlay the abstention rate and the No vote.

"While this factor was statistically the most significant, specific fears were expressed about issues such as the alleged loss of national sovereignty, perceived threats to our policy of military neutrality, and the power of the large member states as against small."

The Fine Gael spokesman on foreign affairs, Mr Jim O'Keeffe, said that facing into next year Ireland stood in danger of being in a minority of one in the EU as the only member state which had not ratified the treaty.

"Last month, the European Commission issued a proposal which suggests that 10 of the 12 applicant countries will have wrapped up negotiations before the end of next year. At that stage, Ireland could be staring into the abyss of isolation solely impeding and certainly delaying the enlargement of the Union. The damage to Ireland of being so isolated would be enormous." Debate on the motion resumes tonight.