The Lisbon Treaty continues to provide Ireland with “absolute control” with regard to its position on abortion, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said.
Mr Martin, who is director of Fianna Fáil’s referendum campaign, accused the group Coir, which is campaigning for a No vote in the June 12th referendum, of conducting a “deeply cynical campaign”.
He said the group was claiming that Europe “wants to force us to change our laws on the legalisation of prostitution and hard drugs, and abortion and euthanasia”.
“It is a sad reality that many of the Treaty's opponents insist on trying to paint the Union as the enemy which wants to control us. They have said that a Union which has helped us to achieve historic social and economic progress actually wants to destroy all of this. This is part of a tactic to spread concern and confusion,” Mr Martin said.
“While we are advocating a Yes vote on the basis of the positive benefits of the Treaty, necessity dictates that we have to respond to attacks when they are made.
“One of these is the outrageous claim that the Treaty will give the Union the right to instruct us what to do on a range of social issues, and in relation to abortion in particular.”
Mr Martin said Ireland had, in 1992, negotiated a protocol on abortion in the Masstricht Treaty which “gives explicit protection to the right of the Irish people to decide our national laws on the right to life”.
“Since then, the EU institutions have fully respected Ireland's position and have never challenged the applicability of the Protocol. After 16 years the union has proven that it is not in any way seeking to take control on this area.”
Mr Martin said the Lisbon Treaty “continues to provide Ireland with absolute control with regard to the protection of the unborn”.
“Member state policies with regard to abortion are clearly acknowledged as not being within the control of the EU. Nothing within the Charter of Fundamental Rights, or in the powers of the European Court of Justice, can affect Ireland's position on abortion.”
He said Coir was “the worst offender by far” on the issue.
“In spite of operating from the same offices as [anti-abortion group] Youth Defence, they have tried to claim that they have no connection. They have distributed a national leaflet which directly claims that Europe wants to force us to change our laws on the ‘legalisation of prostitution and hard drugs, and abortion and euthanasia’.
“This is not a new tactic from Youth Defence. For the Nice Treaty they also set up a front organisation and sent out equally misleading material claiming that the union was about to take control of our social policies. This time they have decided to try to stay out of the spotlight by not holding regular press conferences.
“We have no intention of letting them away with their deeply cynical campaign.”
Coir has denied a connection to Youth Defence and said it was a “separate camp altogether”.
“We share an office, but it’s a big building,” a spokesman said.