No proposal to amend the EU treaties in the manner suggested in the Deputy's question has been put forward. Any such proposal would raise complex issues of considerable sensitivity and so the Government must be careful to avoid expressing views prematurely. In all such cases, the Deputy can be assured that we are following the debate and the issues raised very closely. It would be technically possible for the EU Member States, acting unanimously and in accordance with their own constitutional procedures, and having followed the steps set out in Article 48, paragraphs 2 to 5 of the Treaty on European Union, to amend the EU Treaties in order to make provision for new states seceding from existing EU Member States to stay within the Union. Whether they would wish to do so is a matter in the first instance for each Member State.
In such circumstances for Ireland, as with other Treaty revisions, the final text of any amending Treaty would be referred to the Attorney General for advice as to whether an amendment of the Constitution (and thus a referendum) would be required to enable its ratification.
