Protest voters will ‘pay’ in a no victory

DISGRUNTLED voters, who use the Lisbon poll to protest about other issues, will pay for their “self-indulgence”, the Progressive Democrats have warned.

Launching the party’s vote yes campaign, leader Ciarán Cannon said a no victory would leave Ireland sidelined in the EU and with diminished influence.

Assisting his former PD colleagues in the launch of their campaign, Pat Cox dismissed claims by farmers and other groups that the treaty was a threat to their prosperity and freedom.

Mr Cox, former deputy leader of the PDs and former president of the European Parliament, said Ireland would face serious consequences if it “engaged in self indulgence” and did not pass the treaty.

Senator Cannon warned against scaremongering by no campaigners as he defended the treaty: “The treaty will allow the EU to have the flexibility to move forward on issues benefiting the community as a whole, while still allowing Ireland the right to retain its vetoes on key national issues such as taxation, neutrality, defence and the right to life of the unborn.”

The issue of Irish neutrality also sparked a war of words between pro-and anti-Lisbon groups.

Defence Minister Willie O’Dea insisted the treaty would not lead to Irish troops being sucked into EU operations the Government did not back: “There is no threat to Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality or to our sovereign right to decide for ourselves when we participate in missions involving the Defence Forces.”

Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou McDonald said any politician who believed the treaty would not hit our neutrality does not understand it or does not care.

“The Lisbon treaty will result in greater amounts of Irish taxpayers’ money being spent on Irish and EU military capabilities. It will further consolidate the EU’s control over foreign and security policy.”

Speaking at the Forum on Europe, former Socialist TD Joe Higgins claimed the treaty would lead to important services like health and education being traded like “sacks of spuds on world stock exchanges”.

He accused the Referendum Commission of “straying over the line” with comments on the effect of the treaty on workers’ rights.