O'Leary says Ireland 'needs Europe'

Anyone with a modicum of sense will vote Yes in the Lisbon treaty referendum, Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said in what he called his "last political press conference".

He said it was "time that Irish people wake up to the fact that we are bankrupt and that we need Europe more than Europe needs us". He repeatedly stressed what he said were the two principal reasons for a Yes vote that were driven by the economy and secured by Ireland this time around -"we are guaranteed to keep an EU Commissioner" and Ireland would secure a veto on direct taxation.

"If we vote Yes on Friday, Ireland continues to control both our income tax and our corporation tax rate and that's what drives so much foreign inward investment in this country and so many thousands of jobs in this country."

Mr O'Leary consistently repeated his criticisms of the Government as "inept" and "feckless which would prefer to go on three months' holidays than actually tackle our but appealed to the electorate to "wait until the general election to take it out on the Irish Government".

He said he did not care about "family values" or "neutrality or those other issues. I care about the economy of this country."

Mr O'Leary who said it would be a "distraction" to say whether he voted Yes or No the last time, admitted however that he did not think people were wrong to vote No the last time.

"I think the two compelling arguments the No side had the last time was we would lose a commissioner and we would lose control over our taxation."

Asked about his own agenda and if his campaign was aimed at getting EU backing for his interest in Aer Lingus, the Ryanair chief executive insisted that "whether we vote Yes or No to Europe on Friday it won't alter what's going to happen with Aer Lingus".

Launching his final poster which was also published in newspapers yesterday he repeated criticisms of No campaigners Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald, Patricia McKenna of the People's Movement, Socialist party MEP Joe Higgins and Declan Ganley of Libertas. Mr O'Leary included Mr Higgins who won an European parliament seat, because he lost his Dáil seat.

The Ryanair poster, with photographs of the No campaigners, proclaims that "only losers say No to Europe". Mr O'Leary said that no significant numbers in Ireland supported these parties or organisations.