Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said the presence of three main party leaders at this afternoon’s Lisbon Treaty press conference will remind voters of the overwhelming democratic mandate that the Yes side has from the last general election.
Mr Cowen, the Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore are to appear at a joint press conference at 2pm to call for a Yes vote on Thursday.
Speaking after opening the 13th International Peat Congress in Tullamore, Co Offaly, Mr Cowen said their joint appeal will demonstrate that the Lisbon Treaty is a matter of national importance to the country. “It is beyond party politics," he said.
“It is an opportunity to emphasise once again that most of the people who were elected by the people last year to represent them and form a Government are supportive of this treaty,” he said.
“The voices who are opposed like Sinn Féin, Youth Defence and Libertas do not provide the broad representative spread that is provided by the Yes side supporters.
“We hope that they entrust the judgment in relation to this to the people whose judgment they trusted last year,” he said.
He said reports from the BBC’s European editor that the Czech Government were already preparing for a No vote by Ireland when it takes over the EU Presidency in January are not relevant to Thursday’s vote.
“I’m not going to speculate as to what other people might do. We have a decision to make next Thursday and that’s the issue. Everything else is a distraction."
He also accused the No side of putting forward dishonest arguments about the treaty.
“I had canvassing people back to me on Saturday around Tullamore where the no campaigners were going round saying that we would be joining a European army and they talk about a need for an honest debate. The level of hypocrisy that is going on is astounding.”
Elsewhere, residents on two islands off the Donegal coast are casting the first votes today in the referendum. There is an electorate of 516 on Arranmore and 134 on Tory.