Ireland will be asked to vote again on Lisbon

Paul Waugh: "Well, the Eurosceps won't be surprised, but boy will this ressurrect the whole EU row again. The Irish government has just signalled that it will indeed hold a second referendum on the Lisbon treaty. Premier Brian Cowen will tell the EU summit this week that he wants his country to ratify the treaty by this time next year. Although the words "second referendum"  may not pass his lips, his colleague Europe Minister Dick Roche has just made plain that that is what will happen. Roche says that the treaty can be amended to meet Ireland's fears over neutrality, tax, abortion and its own Commissioner."