'No' vote will risk jobs and threaten economic isolation, warns Ahern

IRELAND 'has a got good deal from the EU on farm policy, regional and social grants, and company taxation rules because the country was seen as fully engaged with the process, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said yesterday.

Mr Ahern said there was a strong economic case for voting Yes in the autumn re-run of the EU Nice Treaty referendum and he again challenged those in the No camp to spell out the economic logic of their case.

“If we vote no to Nice, Ireland will, in practice, carry considerably less weight in future discussions of critical importance to our economy,” he said.