Group questions Lisbon funding

Campaign group Women Say No to Lisbon has called for curbs on expenditure by large corporations in referendum campaigns and sharply criticised advertising by Ryanair which "could hardly be called accurate".

In its final press conference before Friday's referendum, the group also claimed the Lisbon Treaty is "out of date and out of step".

They claimed it favoured the market and large corporations over the interests of ordinary citizens, and would result in increased privatisation of health services.

Chairwoman Ailbhe Smyth said Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary branded "successful politicians" as failures in newspaper advertisements. She noted that the Socialist Party's Joe Higgins had just won a seat as a member of the European Parliament. "Even by Ryanair's standards this advertising could hardly be called accurate," she said.

Ms Smyth said that many people had rightly questioned the funding of Libertas but there seemed to be no questions asked about the funding wealthy corporations such as Ryanair and Intel could invest to sway a campaign. "There must be regulation and oversight of the funding by large corporations on either side of a campaign".

She said the Yes side had spent at up to €4 million while spending for the No side was less than €750,000.

She said it was time for a change of direction which puts the needs of people above those of business. "There are more regulations dealing with lorries than there are with women or children or old people or disabilities. That is not the kind of Europe we want."

Independent Dublin Central TD Maureen O'Sullivan was among those endorsing the No campaign, which is also supported by 24 female councillors including two Labour party politicians, Cllr Collette Connolly from Galway and Cllr Jane Dillon Byrne from Dun Laoghaire.

A Labour Party spokesman said it was "no surprise", because the two councillors had signed an anti-Lisbon document. "We regret they failed to accept the democratically decided view of the majority of the party membership," the spokesman said.