COWEN'S CAMPAIGN:A YES vote on Friday will mark an essential step on the road to economic recovery in Ireland, Taoiseach Brian Cowen told a press conference in Dublin yesterday.
Mr Cowen also stressed that a No vote would undermine confidence. He also said that the minimum wage had nothing to do with the Lisbon Treaty, despite No posters claiming it would be cut if the treaty is ratified.
“I want to assure people that the minimum wage is a national decision and has nothing at all to do with the EU. It is simply not true to say it will be reduced to €1.84 if the treaty is ratified,” he said.
Mr Cowen said that with only five days to go, the Yes campaign was going well but he added that it was far from over. While support for a Yes vote was strong, nothing could be taken for granted and all on the Yes side know they would have to keep working until the close of polling on Friday.
The Taoiseach said Friday’s referendum would be one of the most important votes in recent Irish history and the outcome would determine the future direction of our country.
“As the campaign has gone on the arguments of the No campaigns, both the reasonable ones and the ones designed purely to scare people, have been robustly and effectively dealt with. This is enabling the campaign to increasingly focus on the fundamental issue of Ireland’s relationship with the European Union,” he said.
Mr Cowen added that all of the evidence showed that Ireland and Europe worked better together. The union had been central to our development and in turn we had played a central role in the development of the union.
“We have held a unique position as the country which is known for both being a core, Euro-positive country and having strong links to the rest of the world. For business which employs hundreds of thousands of Irish people we have been the place to invest, not just because we are members of the union – but because we are at the table both shaping and participating in the development of the union. Now we must decide if this approach to Europe will continue,” he said.
The Taoiseach added that the governments of the 26 other member states had consistently signalled their desire to implement the reforms of the treaty. “They listened to the unease of the Irish people as expressed last year and they responded . . . they agreed to a negotiating process which would have one agenda alone, that of the Irish people.”
The Taoiseach said the guarantees agreed by the other 26 states to meet the concerns of the Irish people were comprehensive and legally binding. They removed any reasonable basis for concern about the potential impact of the treaty.
“With concerns on tax, neutrality, workers’ rights, social protection and membership of the commission dealt with, people are now in a position to feel easier in focusing on the real meaning of the Lisbon Treaty – making the union capable of helping all members in a fast changing world with new and unprecedented challenges.
“Not one single major investor in this country has called for a No vote, while 90 per cent of the people who create jobs, be it in small, medium or large companies, have said that a Yes vote will help to protect and create jobs,” he said.
Mr Cowen added that with a Yes vote, Ireland would retain the confidence that it is a positive and influential member of the union and the union would be allowed to move forward to tackle urgent problems. With a No vote, confidence in Ireland will inevitably suffer.
“Ireland benefits when Europe works better. And Europe works better when Ireland plays an active and positive role in its development. Now that the concerns of the Irish people have been dealt with, the choice before us on Friday is a simple one: do we want to move forward with Europe or to try a new and more uncertain route?” he asked.