Adams urges Taoiseach to name Lisbon Treaty referendum date

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was today challenged to name a date for his country’s referendum on the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, whose party is opposed to the treaty, threw down the gauntlet to Mr Ahern during a meeting with Sinn Féin activists in Dublin.

The West Belfast MP welcomed indications from the Taoiseach that the referendum would take place in the early summer but claimed the lack of any firm date was hampering any real debate on the treaty.

“Sinn Féin will be mounting a vigorous campaign against the Lisbon Treaty,” Mr Adams said.

“We believe that it is a bad deal for Ireland and would have serious consequences for generations to come. Ireland deserves better.

“Today Sinn Féin members from across Ireland are meeting to finalise plans for the party’s campaign in opposition to the Lisbon Treaty. Over the coming weeks we will be delivering more than 500,000 newsletters door to door and holding a series of regional meetings.

“This is part of our contribution to a much needed debate on the implications of this treaty for Ireland.

“To date, the Government are avoiding any real debate. Instead ministers are sent out every few days to say that they will set the date soon. And even without a debate Dick Roche arrogantly stated that the referendum would go through without a hitch.”

Ireland is the only EU member state to declare so far that it will hold a referendum on the treaty.

However, Mr Ahern stopped short at a party event in Cork last night of naming a date for the referendum, saying it would take place in the early summer, with the most likely dates late May or early June.

The Taoiseach announced at the Fianna Fáil president’s dinner in Cork last night that Tanaiste Brian Cowen, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern and Dick Roche would head his party’s campaign for a 'yes' vote in the referendum.

“The new reform treaty gives the people of Ireland an opportunity to copper-fasten the strong role which the Irish people and Government have played in the European project since we joined in 1973,” he said.

“Fianna Fáil must now show that we are a proud Irish party which places EU membership among one of our core political priorities.”

Opposition parties Fine Gael and Labour and Fianna Fáil’s smallest coalition partner the Progressive Democrats will campaign for the treaty as will the Greens, its other partner in government.

However, a sizeable number of Greens oppose the treaty.

Mr Ahern has indicated French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel may campaign for a Yes vote in Ireland.

But there is also speculation that French far right leader Jean Marie Le Pen will travel to the Irish Republic to urge voters to reject it.

Mr Adams said today the treaty would have serious consequences, granting the EU an additional 105 powers on issues such as international relations, security, trade and economic policy.

“In more than 60 of these areas we will lose our right to stop laws not in the Irish national interest,” he warned.

“It cuts our voting strength on the Council of Ministers by half and ends our automatic right to a commissioner, leaving us with no voice on the European Commission for five out of every fifteen years.

“All of this will significantly reduce Ireland’s influence at the EU in the coming years. Such a significant concentration of power and strengthen of the larger states is a significant undermining of democracy.”

Mr Adams also claimed it would have an impact on Irish neutrality.

“Neutrality has been systematically eroded through the Irish financial contributions to the European Defence Agency, involvement in the military alliance Partnership for Peace and participation the EU Battle Groups and the use of Shannon airport by US troops on route to Iraq,” he said.

“The Lisbon Treaty takes us further down this road. It contains a commitment to a common defence, three clauses increasing our military spending and a commitment to NATO. The Treaty does not even mention the word neutrality.

“The Lisbon Treaty is a bad deal for Ireland. If it is rejected we can return to the negotiating table and secure a better deal the next time round.

“It will create the opportunity for greater democracy in the EU, for a specific article protecting neutrality, for new provisions protecting public services, to opt outs from EURATOM, the European Defence Agency and other contributions to EU military expenditure.

“Ireland’s place in Europe is secure. We can support Europe and be against the Lisbon Treaty.”