Irish Finance Minister Brian Lenihan insists that goodwill from Europe is vital for small nations.

He said the Lisbon Treaty was vital for a country like Ireland as it gave the protection of rules and the cover of institutions like the European Commission and the ECB.

"That is why the Lisbon Treaty is very good for Ireland, because the best protection for the smaller states is a treaty founded in the rule of law, because otherwise you have the rule of the jungle with larger states asserting their muscle to the detriment and disadvantage of smaller states,"

view from The Independent Ireland today