Party leader, Gerry Adams represented Sinn Fein in the meeting and while Clr. MacLochlainn didn't meet the French President, he did have a significant role to play in the discussions.

As Sinn Fein's National Director of the No Campaign in the Lisbon Treaty, the Buncrana councillor was tasked with organising the meeting with the French President. He said that despite all the criticism of President Sarkozy within the Irish media, the French delegation were more than courteous ahead of Monday's meeting.

"I was speaking to the French ambassador about half a dozen times during the week - there were so many changes in the lead up to Monday's meeting," he said.

"Obviously there was a lot of reporting on the comments on President Sarkozy.

"My experience was that the French embassy were very courteous and they got back very quickly to any queries.

"The people who, in my view, were messing around were the Taoiseach's department.

"Every genuine attempt by the French embassy at trying to create a forum to listen to those who spoke for the majority of the Irish people on the 'No' side, was thwarted by the government."

The Sinn Fein delegation which attended the French Embassy on Monday included Gerry Adams, Clr. MacLochlainn and MEP Bairbre de Bruin.