Article: Taoiseach Brian Cowen will not promise a second try at ratifying the Lisbon Treaty unless he gets absolute assurance from EU colleagues on issues of concern to the Irish people.

heads into summit

Taoiseach Brian Cowen will not promise a second try at ratifying the Lisbon Treaty unless he gets absolute assurance from EU colleagues on issues of concern to the Irish people.

Mr Cowen will be pressed to state clearly at an EU summit today that Ireland will definitely hold a second referendum next year on Lisbon.

But the Taoiseach may decide to approach the summit in a more cautious manner and simply signal his intention to try to ratify the treaty after legal guarantees are sorted out on the issues of tax, abortion and defence.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will be applying the pressure on Mr Cowen to obtain as ...

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