Noonan urges FG supporters to vote Yes

FORMER Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan yesterday asked Fine Gael supporters intending to vote No in the Nice referendum to vote Yes in the national interest.

In his first public statement since he resigned as party leader in the wake of Fine Gael’s disastrous result in the general election, Deputy Noonan said he felt the result of next Saturday’s poll was “going to be very close”.

He said: “There is a very big segment of the Fine Gael vote which is voting No and I am appealing directly to them to vote Yes in the Nice referendum and to put whatever resentments they have with Fianna Fáil and the Government aside.