Cowen must renegotiate Lisbon - SF

Sinn Fein MEP Mary Lou McDonald delivered a detailed submission to Taoiseach Brian Cowen this afternoon on what her party feels…

Sinn Fein MEP Mary Lou McDonald delivered a detailed submission to Taoiseach Brian Cowen this afternoon on what her party feels a renegotiated Lisbon Treaty should contain.

The document was delivered to Mr Cowen in advance of tomorrow's Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels.

Ms McDonald said the ratification process must end and EU leaders must now negotiate a new treaty.

"The people have now spoken and the Lisbon Treaty is over. This document contains the detail of the better deal, which Sinn Féin argued for during the referendum. It represents short-term strategic reforms, which we believe, are reasonable, practical and deliverable in the context of any upcoming negotiation," she said.

Some of the party's suggestions include the retention of a permanent commissioner, the maintenance of the right of Irish citizens to have the final say in significant changes to the EU treaties and the retention and strengthening of key strategic vetoes on tax, public services and international trade.