Abstract

Given the problems created by the failed Irish referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon for the European Union, it is a bittersweet irony that Ireland has been one of the member states hardest hit by the turmoil in global markets. The country’s fiscal position has severely degraded and the Government has been forced to introduce austerity measures not seen for a quarter of a century. Now, in advance of the European Council’s December summit, expectations are growing that the Irish Prime Minister (or Taoiseach) Brian Cowen will provide a clear roadmap for an Irish solution to the EU’s constitutional dilemma and enable the EU to resolve the impasse created by the Irish electorate’s rejection of the Treaty in June.