11/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - The referendum in Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty will be held end May/early June, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has announced. Ireland is the only one of the 27 EU member states to ratify the new treaty by referendum. At this stage, five countries have already ratified the treaty by parliamentary vote: Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, Romania and France. The Slovenian EU Presidency hopes a majority of member states will have completed ratification by end June. (H.B.)