Rush to defend Coughlan after potentially divisive intervention

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen and Finance Minister Brian Lenihan defended Tánaiste Mary Coughlan last night after her potentially damaging intervention in the Lisbon campaign.

Ms Coughlan risked reopening old rows after expressing “grave concern” that the pro-treaty parties were not doing enough to secure a Yes vote. Speaking in Donegal on Monday, she said the parties needed to “beef up” their campaigns.

Similar comments made by Mr Cowen in the first Lisbon campaign sparked a massive row with Fine Gael and Labour, who believed their efforts had been belittled by the Taoiseach.

The two parties were similarly angry yesterday after Ms Coughlan’s comments but chose not to make an issue of it on this occasion, believing it would only hinder the Yes campaign.

Mr Cowen and Mr Lenihan, meanwhile, did their best to draw a line under the issue by saying Ms Coughlan had been referring to the need for all parties, including Fianna Fáil, to increase their efforts.

“You need to look at the context of the constituency where there was a very large No vote last time,” Mr Cowen said in New York, where he is attending a UN conference. “She was speaking as a constituency TD and asking that everyone get out and work together to make sure the Yes vote comes through there.”

Mr Lenihan, speaking at a press conference in Dublin, echoed those remarks.

“The Tánaiste was suggesting that all of the parties in Donegal should beef up their campaigns, and there was some issue about a lack of posters in Donegal And certainly the No vote was very high in Donegal the last time, so I can understand why she was urging all of the parties in Donegal to beef up the campaign,” he said.

“As far as national issues are concerned, it’s clear that the parties are working together to promote a Yes vote.”

But Mr Lenihan took aim humorously at a former Cabinet colleague, EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy.

Mr McCreevy, who damaged the Yes side in the first campaign by admitting he had not read the treaty, said last week he was now staying up nightly studying the document.

And Mr Lenihan quipped: “I very much welcome the commissioner devoting so much attention to the text of the treaty on this occasion.”

Mr Lenihan said a Yes vote was crucial as exports would drive Ireland’s future economic growth and the European Union was by far our largest export market.

He said that it was also worth remembering that the EU — and in particular the European Central Bank — had provided “a lifeline” to the Irish financial system in the present crisis.

A Yes vote was crucial to ensure continued goodwill from fellow member states, Mr Lenihan added.