DENIS STAUNTON in Washington
and GENEVIEVE CARBERY
LIBERTAS founder Declan Ganley has rejected as "insulting" and "ridiculous" suggestions that the campaign against the Lisbon Treaty is motivated by his business links to United States government agencies.
Mr Ganley, whose Galway-based Rivada Networks specialises in public safety communications systems, said there is no link between the company's contracts and his opposition to the treaty.
"We don't do war fighting communications systems or secret squirrel stuff or any of that kind of thing. This is so that public safety agencies, police forces, ambulances, fire fighters, Fema (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the military responders who have been coming as aid workers in these areas can communicate with each other," he told The Irish Times.
Mr Ganley, who was in Washington addressing the Progress and Freedom Foundation - a conservative think-tank - said he had no relationship whatsoever with US intelligence, adding that he was not only an Irish citizen but a member of the Reserve Defence Force who had sworn an oath to his country.
"Insulting is not even the word that I find these ridiculous allegations and insinuation that's been going on.
"To question my patriotism and my love of country by people who are seeking to hand over my country's sovereignty to people we can't hold accountable - I find that very insulting and to say that I would be acting in the interests of any foreign agency or interest over the interest of my own country," he said.
Mr Ganley said that Libertas received no money from outside Ireland but was funded by individual donations, almost all of which are below €4,000.
Mr Ganley said his opposition to the Lisbon Treaty was rooted in what he viewed as its lack of democratic accountability but he favours European political integration and the sharing of sovereignty.
"We do need a common foreign policy in Europe. I actually do think we need a European president.
"I do think we need a European foreign and security minister." But, he said, such a minister should be accountable.
Meanwhile, two leading anti-treaty campaign groups have said they will not be working with Libertas, or Mr Ganley, saying they are opposing the Lisbon Treaty for very different reasons to him.
Irish Anti-War Movement co-ordinator Richard Boyd Barrett said it was completely independent of Libertas, adding: "People can trust that our intentions are purely about opposing militarism."
Andy Storey of peace and justice group Afri said it had no association with Mr Ganley or Libertas, noting: "He is representing a 'No' from the right, and our opposition is to military across the board."