Difficult to undo changes if treaty passed, says Doherty

SINN FÉIN:SINN FÉIN has claimed that future governments will find it virtually impossible to undo the fundamental changes that will occur if the fiscal treaty is passed.

Opening a new front in its campaign for a No vote in next week’s referendum, the party yesterday highlighted what it said were the legal consequences for Ireland in the long term of the “harsh rules” of the treaty.

At a press conference in Dublin, finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said the State would be entering a legally binding international treaty that would have the protection of the Constitution.

“The harsh financial rules are bad for Ireland and bad for Europe. It will become a legal obligation that will only change if every single signatory revokes it,” he said.

“We are being asked to give harsh rules the protection of our Constitution. People should think carefully on the consequences. Once ratified it will almost be impossible to extricate ourselves.”

Asked would a future government not be able to withdraw the legislation, Mr Doherty replied: “This is an intergovernmental treaty that has legal obligations that are far superior to anything we have signed up to in European law. If we rescind the legislation it is in breach of an international government treaty. That would have huge consequences.”

Mr Doherty repeated his party’s contention that the State would have access to the emergency bailout fund even in the event of a No vote.

He also asserted that the Government could refuse to ratify article 136 of the Treaty for the Functioning of the European Union, which he said was necessary to give legal protection to the treaty under European law.

He claimed the reason the Government had not ratified article 136 was that it would allow it an option in the event of a No vote. He claimed that without ratifying it the ESM would be open to legal challenge in the courts.

Mr Doherty said his party was not against the notion of an emergency fund but he did not think the ESM was sufficiently strong to deal with crises happening in Spain or Italy.