Refusal to declare Lisbon dead 'treason'

REFUSING TO declare the Lisbon Treaty dead was an "act of treason the likes of which has not been seen since the Act of Union", an Oireachtas subcommittee on Europe was told yesterday.

In a brief presentation that ended in a shouting match and a walk-out, Richard Greene, chairman of anti-Lisbon group Cóir, said the sole objective of the Sub-Committee on Ireland's Future in Europe was "to attempt to overturn the democratic wishes of the majority of the Irish people who voted No" to the treaty.

The subcommittee was set up to examine the result of the Lisbon Treaty referendum and to suggest ways forward for Ireland in the aftermath of the No vote.

Mr Greene said the "brazen effrontery and blatant denial of the result shows the contempt in which the political parties hold the people.

"Suppressing the sovereign right of the people in such a fashion would be an act of treason the likes of which has not been seen since the Act of Union," he said.

He said the treaty should be scrapped, abandoned and declared dead.

"I therefore ask the chairman to answer the only pressing matter now before this committee: will you declare the treaty dead and call on EU leaders to end the treaty ratification process immediately?"

Committee chairman Senator Paschal Donohoe of Fine Gael said that, in the seven weeks the committee had been sitting, he had never heard such an outrageous allegation as the suggestion that anybody in the committee was perpetrating an act of treason.

Mr Greene interrupted to quote the Constitution.

"Once the people in a referendum have made a decision, the Constitution is absolutely clear that the people's wishes have to be represented and acted upon," he said. "It's appalling that democratically elected politicians would refuse to honour the Constitution."

Mr Donohoe asked Mr Greene not to interrupt him. But Mr Greene said he was concerned about his country, so concerned that he didn't care what people thought of him.

"You have not answered my question," he said.

Mr Donohoe repeated that Mr Greene had alleged the committee had committed treason. "It is not an allegation, it is the truth," Mr Greene said.

Cóir spokeswoman Niamh Uí Bhriain asked Mr Donohoe to "respect the vote" of 862,000 people.

Mr Donohoe responded that Cóir was attempting to subvert the work of the committee. Ms Uí Bhriain asked, "It is a simple question: will you respect the Irish vote?"

Labour TD Joe Costello attempted to discuss the terms of reference of the committee, but was interrupted.

"I will ask you one more time to terminate what you are saying or we will adjourn this meeting," Mr Donohoe said.

"We are not going to engage in this meaningless farce, we are going to terminate this interview," Ms Uí Bhriain responded.

The Cóir delegation then walked out. Afterwards, Mr Donohoe said Cóir had let themselves and their supporters down. He said it was clear from the outset that they had no intention of taking part in any significant debate, but were only interested in grandstanding and bluster.