Irish PM won't speculate on second EU vote

By Jonathan Saul

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said on Friday he could not speculate on whether Ireland would hold another referendum on the European Union's reform treaty after voters rejected the text last week.

Officials in Dublin believe a second vote would be a high-risk strategy that could heap more humiliation on Ireland and Europe if voters spurned the Lisbon Treaty again.

Cowen, who held two days of talks with other EU leaders, said he needed more time to analyse the situation in Ireland.

"I can't speculate at this point whether we will have another referendum or not as I have to get involved in a process of engagement," Cowen told reporters after his meetings.

"It is only at that point that the government can make a continuous assessment of what our next steps may or may not be."

Cowen, who took over as prime minister last month, said he would explore "all options, all areas".

Irish voters' failure to back the Lisbon treaty has cast doubt on a project aimed at overhauling the bloc's creaking institutions.

The treaty's opponents have feared it would leave Ireland with a weaker voice, as well as not supporting workers.