SINN FÉIN vice-president Mary Lou McDonald has dismissed the legal guarantees on the Lisbon Treaty secured by the Irish Government from its EU partners as nothing more than a series of clarifications.
Speaking in Dublin at the launch of her party’s campaign for a No vote in the forthcoming referendum, she said the guarantees did not alter the text of the treaty in any way, or change the impact it would have on Ireland.
“Almost 1,000,000 people, or 53 per cent of the electorate rejected the Lisbon Treaty on June 12th, 2008. People voted for a better deal for Ireland and Europe. The result presented the Irish Government with a strong mandate to go to the European Council and negotiate a better treaty for Ireland and Europe. The Government wasted that mandate,” she said.
Ms McDonald said the guarantees secured at the European Council meeting in June were nothing more than a series of clarifications of some aspects of the Lisbon Treaty.
“They do not alter the text of the treaty in any way nor do they change the impact that the treaty will have on Ireland and the EU. Their legal status is irrelevant.
“On October 2nd we will be voting on exactly the same treaty, with exactly the same consequences for Ireland and the EU, as we did last year,” she said.
Ms McDonald said those consequences included the erosion of Irish neutrality, the weakening of Ireland’s position in Europe, the militarisation of Europe and much, much more.
“After the last referendum Sinn Féin presented the Government with a detailed series of proposals for a better deal for Ireland and the EU. Our proposals aimed to create a more democratic, equal, just and peaceful EU with protocols on Irish neutrality and tax sovereignty, a strengthened social clause, the retention of a permanent commissioner for all member states and the removal of the self-amending clauses. The Government’s guarantees do not address any of these issues,” she said.
Ms McDonald claimed the Lisbon Treaty was a bad deal for Ireland when it was presented to the people last year and remained the same bad deal.
Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has also said the treaty was bad for both the Irish and the European economy.
“The Lisbon Treaty is part of the failed economy consensus of the past. It was drafted by right-wing politicians who have led the European economy into recession.
“It contains many of the right-wing economic policies that have caused the recession and that continue to prevent member state governments from responding effectively to the recession,” he said.
Mr Ó Caoláin added that since 2004 the European Commission, under the stewardship of Portuguese conservative José Manuel Barroso and ably supported by the European Court of Justice, had introduced proposal after proposal undermining sustainable economic growth, public services and workers’ rights.
“We fully expect the Yes side to use the recession as a scare tactic to bully the electorate into voting for this treaty. However, ratifying the Lisbon Treaty will make our present economic crisis worse. The treaty is bad for both the Irish and the European economy,” he said.
