WOMEN HERE have been urged to become acquainted with the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty and to subsequently endorse it because they have the ability to "make or break Europe".
That's according to the Labour Party, which hosted an open meeting to debate the treaty's implications and lobby for a Yes vote among women voters.
Deputy leader Joan Burton said it was important to weigh up the treaty on its merits and not to use it as an opportunity to register a protest against the Government.
"On balance, the Lisbon Treaty is clearly in the interests of the Irish people and the people of Europe.
"When people ask 'What has Europe ever done for us?' I am often reminded of the Monty Python sketch where they ask 'What have the Romans ever done for us'? The answer in both questions is 'quite a lot actually'."
Chairwoman of Labour Women Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin said the treaty "for the first time commits the EU to equality between women and men as a core principle in all it does".
The Nice referendums, she said, demonstrated that women were in a key position, that they "are more likely to vote than men are. This means that what women think of the treaty can make or break the deal".
Ms Ní Chúlacháin added: "Women tend to be interested in issues: how does the treaty affect my family; our jobs; our environment and our safety? It is important that those aspects of the treaty are communicated. Labour Women are urging women to get to know the treaty and to make informed decisions."
Labour TD Joe Costello told what was described as the first Lisbon Treaty event aimed at women that a Yes vote would be "good for women, good for Ireland and good for Europe".
A lot of people "are unsure about the Lisbon Treaty because the Government has not done us any favours in its approach to the campaign", he said.