Labour party leader Eamon Gilmore has urged voters to “resist the temptation” of using the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty to give the government a “political bloody nose”.
Eamon Gilmore said the treaty includes a range of provisions which enhance democratic accountability
Speaking during a visit to Cork this morning, Mr Gilmore urged the electorate to wait until next year’s local and European elections to demonstrate their anger with the Government.
“I fully understand the anger that people feel with this government.” Mr Gilmore said.
Mr Gilmore cited the "shambles" in the health service, the ongoing problems of crime and vandalism, rising inflation, increasing live register figures, the Government "mishandling" of the stamp duty issue, the failure to deliver affordable childcare and the worries that farmers have about the WTO trade talks.
“Against this background it is perfectly understandable that angry electors might look to the referendum as the first opportunity to vote ‘against’ the Government,” he added.
However, there are so many potential benefits in the Lisbon Reform Treaty for the Irish people that voting ‘no’ on June 12th would truly be a case of ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face’”.
Mr Gilmore said the treaty includes a range of provisions which enhance democratic accountability, move the Union’s institutions closer to the citizen and make them more accessible.
“A defeat in the referendum would certainly be a political embarrassment for the Irish government, but the way to really hit them would be to take seats off the government parties in the local and European elections which are now just over 12 months away.”
Yesterday, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny warned there was "much confusion" among the public about the Lisbon treaty and its implications for Ireland. Mr Kenny urged politicians to fill what he called the "information gap" ahead of the summer referendum.
In an address to the Forum on Europe at Dublin Castle, Mr Kenny said he had detected a lack of clarity about the treaty's provisions during public meetings held by his party in recent weeks.
