Business as usual as Opposition parties attack Taoiseach
During the campaign, the two Opposition parties had continued to criticise the Government on such controversies as Fás and proposed budget cuts.
But on the Lisbon issue itself, they had agreed to put aside partisan politics so that the Yes campaign would appear united.
Just a short time after counting began on Saturday and early tallies indicated a firm Yes vote, however, normal service resumed.
Fine Gael TD Alan Shatter explained how his party had told voters who were sick of the Government to “hold their nose”, vote Yes, and express their anger with the coalition at a later date.
Labour deputy leader Joan Burton launched a stinging attack on Mr Cowen and Fianna Fáil, claiming they had done very little to pass the treaty.
“The biggest difficulty on the Yes side, and for the Labour Party in canvassing for a Yes vote, was the fact that the Taoiseach, Mr Cowen, was so deeply unpopular and Fianna Fáil was beset by so many scandals,” she said. “The greatest favour that Mr Cowen did for the campaign was that he and Fianna Fáil largely stayed out [of it] and actually didn’t canvass hugely in people’s faces.
“His face never graced a poster and Fianna Fáil were very circumspect in how they canvassed,” she added.
Mr Shatter, rejecting a suggestion by Libertas leader Declan Ganley that Mr Cowen had led a “masterful” campaign, said nobody would “take seriously” the claim that the Taoiseach was instrumental in the Yes side’s success.
However, Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin rejected the Opposition’s criticisms and insisted Mr Cowen had led from the front.
He said the Taoiseach had visited over 20 different constituencies, done 11 long national radio interviews, 16 extended local radio interviews, and written a number of pro-Lisbon articles in the press.
Mr Cowen had also conducted a number of national press conferences, the minister pointed out.
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