The Fine Gael leader said his party would support the acceptance of the Nice Treaty in a referendum.

Mr Michael Noonan said Fine Gael was in favour of the expansion of the EU membership and accepted the need for the consequential institutional reforms contained in the treaty.

"The balance of advantage for Ireland is significantly in favour of continued, wholehearted membership of an expanded EU, which will increase the size of the market from 370 million to 550 million people.

"As an export-oriented country, this will be an important boost to our economy. As a prime location for US and other non-EU investment, our attraction for foreign investment is likely to be enhanced when we are part of a union of 27 rather than 15."

However, Mr Noonan added that the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs had made a number of serious concessions. They had conceded the State's automatic right always to have a person sitting at the Commission table in Brussels, a reduction in the number of Irish members of the Parliament and in Ireland's voting strength in the Council of Ministers.

"These concessions may not have been inevitable. They were made, in part at least, because of Fianna Fail's weakness in any inter-governmental European negotiations.

"The failure of Fianna Fail to join in or create any serious alliance with other European political parties since we joined the Community nearly 30 years ago is regrettable.

"The failure is all the more remarkable given the successful terms and conditions of membership negotiated by the then Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Paddy Hillery."

Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) said his party would call for a No vote. "We favour, and actively promote, fraternity and co-operation between nations across the continent of Europe. We oppose the creation of a new superpower, an EU superstate with its own army dominated by the largest countries. Rival regimes aspiring to be world powers have caused untold misery, including two world wars, countless smaller wars and the ongoing economic exploitation of the poorer nations of the world and the majority of the human race."

The legislation passed all stages in the Dail. The two Green party TDs, Sinn Fein and the Socialist party TD, Mr Joe Higgins (Dublin West) called a vote but a minimum of 10 deputies are required for an issue to be voted on and the legislation passed without a vote.