A round-up of other Lisbon news in brief
'No' vote 'valid way' to get rid of Coalition
Voting No in the Lisbon referendum is a “valid way” of driving the Government from office, an anti-treaty group claimed yesterday, writes Eoin Burke-Kennedy.
The voteno.ie group said there was a groundswell of anger at the Government’s economic strategy which was “translating into a No vote”.
It said many people saw voting No as a way to remove the Coalition from power and a canvass by its supporters in north Dublin on Wednesday night found “the sentiment for No” was stronger than during the last Lisbon referendum campaign.
The group said this sentiment was well-founded as the Government’s economic policies were being underwritten by the European Commission.
Launching the voteno.ie referendum campaign in Dublin yesterday, Kieran Allen of the Socialist Workers Party, who manages the voteno.ie website, said: “Each of the bank bailouts that have occurred has received the express permission of the EU Commission.”
Neutrality safe, insists O'Dea
Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea yesterday insisted that Ireland’s policy of neutrality has been copperfastened by guarantees obtained by the Government from the other EU states ahead of a second Lisbon Treaty referendum, writes Barry Roche.
Mr O’Dea said that he could not understand opponents of the treaty claiming that ratification would lead to a militarisation of Europe and an undermining of Ireland’s policy of neutrality as there was no evidence to support such a contention.
Mr O’Dea pointed out on each occasion that Ireland voted on an EU treaty such as the treaties of Maastricht, Nice and Amsterdam, opponents of ratification had argued that it would lead to “an increased militarisation of Europe” into which Ireland would be drawn.
Opponents of ratification of the Lisbon Treaty continue to make the same arguments despite the reassurances given by the Government and the fact that people can see for themselves that the previous predictions regarding militarisation have failed to materialise, he claimed.
Yes vote 'to start economic upturn'
Young Fine Gael has said the Lisbon Treaty referendum presents young people with a clear opportunity to begin the fightback against the decline of the economy by voting Yes on October 2nd, writes Stephen Collins.
“The Lisbon referendum presents young people with a stark choice: to vote Yes and to embrace the opportunities presented by a stronger and united European Union, or to vote No and take our chances at getting through the current crisis from the margins of the EU,” said Barry Walsh, president of the organisation.
He was speaking in Dublin at the launch of the Young Fine Gael poster campaign, which will go nationwide in the coming days.
Agri-food sector supports Lisbon
A survey of the professional body for graduates working in all areas of the agri-food sector has found 95 per cent believed a Yes vote was critical to Ireland’s economic interests, reports Seán Mac Connell, Agriculture Correspondent.
The survey presented at the Agricultural Science Association Conference in Dublin last night found three out of four feel that rejecting the treaty in the 2008 referendum has impacted negatively on Ireland’s reputation in Europe.
ASA president, Elaine Farrell, welcomed the strong support by graduates for the treaty and said the ASA was urging all its members to play an active part in ensuring a Yes vote in the forthcoming referendum.
The conference continues today at the Castleknock Hotel, Dublin.