Campaign launch The citizenship referendum "is about the rights of children", the Sinn Féin leader, Mr Gerry Adams, said yesterday.
"If this is passed, two children born in the same ward on the same day could be deemed to have different constitutional rights," Mr Adams said at the official launch of the party's European campaign yesterday.
Yesterday, The Irish Times/TNS mrbi opinion poll reported that 56 per cent of declared Sinn Féin supporters support the referendum, while just 32 per cent are against and 12 per cent have no opinion.
Expressing confidence that the Government's proposal would be rejected, the party's Dublin European candidate, Ms Mary Lou McDonald, said: "We still have 2½ weeks to go."
"We are putting across our position very strongly. I think the poll reflects the fact that there is a substantial undecided vote there. We are asking people to sit back and reflect," she said.
In his address, Mr Adams said his party was contesting all constituencies on the island: "Sinn Féin is asking voters in all parts of this island to return an all-Ireland team of MEPs to Europe. Our message is simple - a vote for Sinn Féin is a vote for an alternative, for a working voice in Europe, it is a vote for the peace process, it is a vote for neutrality, it is a vote for equality and change."
He went on: "The last five years have in many ways been a real learning experience for Irish people in relation to the EU.
"The Government's decision to ignore the wishes of half a million voters and re-run the Nice Treaty was blatantly anti-democratic. The Government failed to listen to the people and failed to address the many concerns that were raised about the direction of the EU.
"The Irish EU presidency was another real opportunity to put issues raised by the Irish people on the European agenda. The Government could have acted to protect neutrality.
"They could have acted to demand that Irish is recognised as an official EU language. They could have acted to address a wide range of concerns about the growing lack of democracy within the EU.
"But \ is almost over and the Government has spent the entire time transfixed by the effort to secure a deal on the proposed EU constitution, even if such a deal means a further dilution of Irish sovereignty."
Sinn Féin's North West candidate, Donegal-based Mr Pearse Doherty, said the party was supportive of EU engagement, but it would "not adopt a wholly uncritical attitude to any and all developments".
Sinn Féin MEPS, he said, would not have free rein. Instead, they would be expected to consult with local party organisations.
