Ahern favours June 12 date for Lisbon vote

THURSDAY, June 12, is the date favoured by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for the Lisbon Treaty referendum, he indicated at the end of an EU summit in Brussels.

He had briefed his fellow EU leaders on the state of the referendum debate in Ireland and explained to them that he would announce a date definitively next week.

“There was a lot of interest,” he said at a press conference afterwards.

When asked for a date he said it would be “in or around the 12th” and went on to rule out June 13 and June 14.

Mr Ahern said he was trying to ensure it would not upset the third-level exams, which start in May and go on until June.

“I am trying to do my best but I am told — which unfortunately I don’t have the privilege of it — that once you hit mid-June everyone goes away to their villas and country houses.”

He said he liked the idea of holding a vote on a Saturday, but in winter. The problem was obvious from watching the M50 on a Friday lunchtime when a huge amount of people head out of Dublin.

“I would hate to be having a vote in Dublin Central when I was on my own,” he said.

Meanwhile, FF MEP Sean Ó Neachtain insisted it was in Ireland’s economic interest to vote Yes. It was a view, he said, shared by the IDA, the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland and IBEC, all whom have proven and strong records of job creation in Ireland.

“How are we meant to believe Libertas, a so-called think thank... and which has called for a No vote against this treaty because it says that it will be bad for Ireland’s economic future. Libertas has no proven record of job creation in Ireland,” he said.