Irish 'Lisbon guarantees' almost agreed[fr] 

"With the exception of taxation, our guarantees will be Ireland-specific," Martin told a parliamentary hearing in Dublin. 

"We have to be careful that in getting what we want we do not upset procedures for others," he said. "People are sensitive how it will be received domestically in their own political systems." 

On a visit to the south of Ireland, European Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström said it would take some time for lawyers to formulate the guarantees that Ireland is demanding without sparking a fresh debate in other countries. 

"The political will is there to find an agreement," Wallström told Irish state radio RTE. "The feeling is also we have to move on with the things that really matter to European citizens," she said, citing the economic crisis and climate change as examples. 

Martin said defence issues - which include a guarantee not to prejudice Ireland's neutrality - were especially sensitive for some member states. EU leaders are due to meet on 18-19 June. 

Irish voters rejected the treaty last June in the only referendum on the issue in the 27-member bloc, but opinion polls now show a clear majority in favour of the accord as Irish people look to Europe as a shield in the financial crisis. 

Rerun before November 

Ministers have signalled that the re-run was most likely to take place in October, but Martin would only say it would take place before the European Commission's term ends on 1 November. 

"That is still the timeline," Martin said. 

Ireland's governing parties suffered heavy losses in last week's elections for European Parliament, local councils and two Irish parliamentary seats, which according to analysts could weaken Prime Minister Brian Cowen's ability to stage a strong referendum campaign. 

However, the opposition parties which made the biggest gains in the polls - Fine Gael and Labour - also support the Lisbon Treaty, while its strongest opponents Libertas and Sinn Fein both failed to get elected to the European Parliament. 

"The elections are over," Martin told deputies. "Let's move on a unified footing." Earlier on Thursday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he would be prepared to travel to Ireland to help gather support for the treaty. 

A spokeswoman at Martin's department said there were no plans yet to invite anyone in connection with the treaty, as the date of the referendum had not been set. 

Last July hundreds of protesters greeted Sarkozy in Dublin, chanting "'No' means 'no'" after Sarkozy said Ireland would have to hold another referendum. But he then replied it was better to "meddle" in Ireland's affairs than to be indifferent. 

The Irish government has pledged to carry out a better campaign than last year, when voters cited lack of information about the treaty as the main reason for rejecting it. 

"This is the one chance we have," Martin said on Thursday. "We have listened to the people, we've taken on board their concerns," he said. "We are working with our colleagues in Europe to have those concerns accommodated. The European Council will bring that to a conclusion." 

(EurActiv with Reuters.)