RYANAIR BOSS Michael O'Leary has pledged to campaign vigorously next year for a Yes vote on the Lisbon Treaty and dismissed No campaigners as "a bunch of lunatics".
On the day that Ryanair delivered a bloody nose to the European Commission in a landmark legal ruling involving the way it negotiates with state-run airports, Mr O'Leary said the airline and he personally would volunteer to campaign in a second referendum.
"Europe has lots of ills, and no one knows that more, or has been knocked around more by Europe, than me. But ultimately, we need to be in Europe," he said in Brussels. "I'll campaign for it. Give them free flights and they would vote in favour."
He said the economy was in trouble and one of the ways Ireland would dig itself out of the mess was by exporting, competing more within Europe. He emphasised the number of jobs in the economy dependent on Europe. Mr O'Leary conceded that Ryanair would not exist without the deregulation agenda driven by the EU.
He said the Irish people should ignore the "lunatic fringe" such as Sinn Féin when it comes to a second referendum. "If the shinners are urging a No vote then for Christ sake vote Yes because you wouldn't want to vote with those lunatics on anything," said Mr O'Leary, who described them as a bunch of "economic illiterates".
"I'd always want to take on the shinners - the only party whose economic policy consists of robbing banks," he said.
He also dismissed the challenge posed by Libertas, the European political party set up by multimillionaire Declan Ganley. "Sure Declan Ganley won't get five votes," he said.
Asked about the Government's failure to effectively market the treaty in the first referendum held last June, Mr O'Leary said he expected changes in a second campaign.
"I think the Government this time will run a much more coherent campaign. I think they have got some very significant concessions," he said, referring to last week's decision by EU leaders to allow each member state to retain its commissioner after 2014.
"In many respects you could say the Irish people have done a very good job in negotiating . . . Because by turning it down the first time we have secured a commissioner and secured guarantees in taxation and on neutrality, although neutrality is a waste of time anyway," he said.
Mr O'Leary's pledge to campaign for a Yes vote follows years of acrimony between the commission and the Ryanair chief executive.He admitted Ryanair had made mistakes in its dealings with the commission and now wanted to forge a better relationship and work together.