The Tánaiste Ms Mary Harney has called on people to focus on the "big picture" when considering the Nice Treaty following today's Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll which showed a seven per cent fall in public support for the treaty.
She said the poll showed: "People had yet to focus on the big picture of what the Nice Treaty is about - the benefits of enlargement for Ireland and the continent of Europe."
Less than a week before the referendum on June 7th, today’s poll showed 45 per cent intend to vote for the treaty, seven points down on the last poll (published May 19th). It indicated the percentage of those intending to vote No has increased by seven points to 28 per cent. The number with no opinion is unchanged at 27 per cent.
The poll results were welcomed today by Sinn Féin Councillor Mr Seán Crowe who said he expected to see a substantial shift against the Treaty over the coming week.
He said the Government’s failure to provide an opportunity for "real debate" on the Treaty by rushing the referendum through is reflected in the poll with 50 per cent saying they were only vaguely aware or not aware of what the Treaty is about.
For her part the Tánaiste expressed her concern at the high level of "don’t knows" in the poll.
In a statement today she called on people to focus on the central issue of the Nice Treaty - the benefits of enlargement, the opening of new markets and the prospect of peace in Central Europe.
She said she understood people were concerned about Ireland ceding small amounts of voting power at the EU.
However she said: "The poll did not ask people to consider why we are doing this, the broad context of making way for new member States of the Union. When people focus on that, I believe they will answer Yes to Nice."
The Tánaiste particularly called on people working in international businesses and exporters to vote Yes, arguing they will benefit from the opportunities of an expanding EU market which would be made possible under the Nice Treaty.
Her sentiments were echoed by the Minister for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs, Mr Tom Kitt.
Urging people to vote Yes on Thursday, he said: "The main purpose of the Nice Treaty is to prepare the Union for the significant expansion in its membership in the next few decades."
He assured voters the treaty would not affect the State’s neutrality nor that it meant surrendering a veto on issues like taxation.
Mr Kitt said: "It’s simple choice: are we going to be generous and embracing and vote Yes or will we be selfish and vote No?"
The Irish Times/MRBI poll was conducted among a national quota sample of 1,000 electors at 100 sampling points throughout all constituencies in the State on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.