Young Fine Gael members clashed with Cóir representatives outside the anti-Lisbon Treaty organisation’s headquarters in Dublin city centre this morning.
Fine Gael’s youth wing hired an ‘admobile’ featuring the slogan “Liar liar, pants on fire Cóir” with a cartoon image of a Pinocchio-style figure whose rear was being burned by the flaming torch in Cóir’s logo. It arrived outside Cóir’s headquarters at the corner of Parnell Street and Capel Street this morning.
Fine Gael Senator Pascal Donohoe and Cóir campaign manager Scott Schittl accused each other of telling lies about the impact of the treaty upon minimum wage levels.
Mr Schittl held a copy of Cóir’s’ contentious “€1.84 minimum wage after Lisbon?” poster, while Young Fine Gael members held Cóir posters with banners with the word “Lies” stuck on to them.
“It is a lie that is being peddled by Cóir to say that a minimum wage of €1.84 will be introduced here in Ireland because of the Lisbon Treaty,” Mr Donohoe said.
“There’s absolutely nothing in the Lisbon Treaty that is going to reduce the minimum wage to the level that Coir are saying that it will.”
Mr Schittl said he saw the vehicle and Young Fine Gael group arriving from inside his office.
“These people are calling us liars. I have the right to come out here and defend ourselves against what they’re saying. What we are saying is the truth,” he said.
“What we are saying is that the effective minimum wage, the wage at which workers have to work at, in competition with other workers who can be brought in from other countries, will be reduced.”
A press release issued yesterday evening had promised that Young Fine Gael would “take battle to No side doorstep” and said the exact city centre location would be revealed this morning at 6.30am.
The location was revealed this morning as Cóir’s office on Capel Street. The organisation operates out of the same building that accommodates the controversial anti-abortion group Youth Defence.
Some people at the event wore red T-shirts with the word “Cóir” on them. They said they were representing Young Fine Gael.
