IRELAND'S DECISION to send troops to Chad was strongly criticised last night by Dr Kieran Allen, a senior lecturer in sociology at University College Dublin.
Dr Allen, who is advocating a No vote on the Lisbon Treaty, told a Forum on Europe debate in Castlebar, Co Mayo, that he was "seriously concerned" about the fact that Irish troops had been sent to Chad in support of France, a country with former colonial powers.
He claimed that voting for the treaty was a vote for increased military spending in Europe and asked those attending the meeting whether they should trust a Government that has allowed one million US troops through Shannon to safeguard our neutrality.
The answer, Dr Allen suggested, had to be No.
The Fine Gael MEP for the North-West European Parliament constituency, Jim Higgins, strongly urged a Yes vote at the meeting, which was attended by about 70 people and chaired by Maurice Hayes, chairman of the National Forum on Europe. He warned: "If Ireland rejects the treaty, it would be seen as a nation of begrudgers and saboteurs."
He continued: "It would have a major effect on foreign-owned industry located here and would be a major deterrent to attracting new industry from outside.
"It would throw us back to the bad old pre-EU days when we were largely dependent on our next-door neighbour, Britain."
Mr Higgins said Ireland had always punched above its weight in Europe and had always managed to get key commissionerships. There was huge goodwill towards Ireland in Europe but all that goodwill would go out the window with a No vote.
The meeting at the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar was picketed by a lone protester, John Murphy, who had cardboard signs affixed to his body urging, "Say No to Abortion, Say No to the Lisbon Treaty". If the treaty was passed, it would pave the way for euthanasia and abortion would "become Ireland's newest bloodsport", he said.