Ireland intends to go ahead with its referendum on the EU constitution, despite its resounding rejection by French and Dutch voters, the Irish Foreign Minister said today.
There had been speculation that Ireland would follow Britain's lead and decide to suspend its referendum, ignoring calls from France and Germany for all EU member states to continue with the ratification process.
Ireland has yet to set a date for the referendum, and may in any case find events running away with its plans. EU leaders are due to discuss the fate of the constitutional charter at an emergency summit next week, with growing support for a "ratification holiday" while France and the Netherlands find a way to get back on board. The document can only come into effect if all 25 member states approve it.
The Polish president said today that his country was likely to delay its vote if next week's meeting fails to come up with a clear line the constitution's future.
In an interview with the Financial Times published today, Tony Blair defended the constitution and said Europe would still need a new set of rules established in due course.
Speaking for his trip to Washington, where he is due to meet President Bush later today, the Prime Minister said: "The constitution is a perfectly sensible way forward and at some point Europe is going to have to adopt rules for the future of Europe - and if it doesn't, it is not going to function properly."
Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, told MPs yesterday that the Government was shelving the legislation paving the way for a vote until the EU itself managed to achieve some "clarity" about the future of the constitution.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, Mr Straw denied that EU leaders would try to cherry-pick parts of the treaty and push them through without fanfare or consultation.
"There will be no introduction of this constitutional treaty, or indeed of anything that looks like a constitutional treaty, by the back door. That could only come in the UK by a full debate and by a referendum," he said.
But he said proposals that could be implemented without a plebiscite included one to give national parliaments more say over EU decisions and another to base a member states voting power on its population. Neither of these proposals was rejected by Britains various political parties, he argued.
"It would be absurd, if we could find a way of strengthening the role of the British House of Commons over EU legislation, to say that had to go to a referendum," he said. "The voting system will have to be changed at some stage because the Nice (Treaty) formula will have to be changed."
Mr Straw said that more momentous changes, such as the creation of a European foreign minister, would still have to be included in a constitutional treaty and subject to a referendum.
British ministers now privately anticipate a slow and lingering death for the blueprint rejected by the French and Dutch electorates last week, although a Populus poll for The Times shows that half the British electorate would still like a vote.
Despite the strong 'no' votes in both France and the Netherlands, the Irish foreign minister Dermot Ahern has confirmed that Ireland will still hold a referendum on the proposed European Union constitution. This comes following the Irish rejection of the Nice Treaty in 2002.

Speaking to BBC radio Mr. Ahern said "We've made a decision based on the commitment that we gave when we put the constitution together in draft form." He went on to say "Over 50 percent of the population of Europe have already ratified the convention. What do you say to those people: 'Your votes mean nothing'?" (note that the only country where the constitution was directly ratified by the population and not by the parliament so far is Spain). Unlike in most European countries, in Ireland by law any change to the core treaties of the EU must be put to a referendum.

The constitution was agreed upon by EU heads of state earlier this year under Ireland's European presidency. It is backed by all major Irish political parties including the main opposition, Fine Gael.