Nine Ministers focused on the financial sector yesterday and canvassed a bank, reports Genevieve Carbery.
WORKERS IN a Dublin bank were taken by surprise yesterday when nine Fianna Fáil Ministers arrived in their workplace to canvass support for the treaty.
Armed with branded brollies and "vote Yes" leaflets, the Ministers emerged from the Fianna Fáil "Yes Bus" when it pulled up outside the offices of Citi Bank in the financial services centre at lunchtime .
Followed by an entourage of eager Ogra Fianna Fáilers dressed in yellow T-Shirts and carrying hundreds of Yes stickers, the Ministers may have been disappointed that the politicians almost outnumbered the suited finance workers awaiting conversion.
The canvassing by Ministers Mary Coughlan, Dermot Ahern, Noel Dempsey, Eamon Ó Cuív, Mary Hanafin, Micheál Martin, Martin Cullen and Ministers of State Dick Roche and Barry Andrews had been scheduled to take place outdoors but was moved inside at the last minute because of wet weather.
Mr Roche and Mr Dempsey joined forces to tackle one sceptical voter who was unhappy with the increase in the cost of living and the direction of the economy.
"This is about growth in the future," Mr Roche argued "This is about making the institutions more efficient and more effective," he said, calling the No side's argument on tax "propaganda".
When the disgruntled voter was still not swayed, Mr Dempsey piped in: "You can't blame Europe for that."
Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin milled around the small groups of voters as she took time to convince people such as David Fisher that the treaty would not impact on neutrality and that a Yes vote was best for these financial workers.
Standing outside on a cigarette break, two unconverted employees looked amazed and surprised at the scene unfolding before them. Having watch the Ministers alight just minutes earlier, they now watched them board the bus again.
"They must be in there to talk to someone important, not people like us," said Áine Cantwell, who said she will vote No.
"I think the whole thing should be changed," she said, giving reasons as a loss of power for Ireland and the treaty's impact on tax. "The Yes campaign does not use normal people's language and the No side is a bit more clear."