Parties make referendum vote plea

Voting positively in the European treaty referendum will not solve Ireland’s problems but will be a major step on the road to recovery, the government parties have said today.

The directors of elections for Labour and Fine Gael, Joan Burton and Simon Coveney, called for a yes vote in the referendum.

But Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said the treaty would be a block to growth and undermine efforts to cut unemployment.

“The Stability Treaty is really about the euro in your pocket and the need to put it on a long-term stable footing,” said Ms Burton.

“It is about ensuring that foreign employers continue to invest here. It is about having an insurance policy that gives this country access to a special assistance fund if we need it.”

She added: “Opponents of the Stability Treaty are not just asking you to vote no. They are also asking you to take a leap into the dark which will put this country back into the eye of the political and economic storm.”

Mr Coveney asked people to read the treaty for themselves when it arrives in households.

“Unlike previous treaties, this is not a long or complex document – but it is hugely important. The treaty will not solve all of Ireland’s problems, but is a major step forward on our road to recovery,” he said.

“It will ensure that no future government can spend the people’s money recklessly and it will provide access to emergency funding should we need it.”

But Mr Adams said voting yes would deliver extended rounds of cuts into the future. He said: “The single biggest challenge facing the economy is getting people off the dole and back to work. This is the only way to boost growth and reduce the deficit.”

He added: “You cannot cut your way out of a recession. Nor can you create jobs by cutting public spending and imposing taxes on low and middle-income earners. Jobs require real investment.

“It is not enough for the government to talk about job creation. It must use the monies at its disposal from the National Pension Reserve Fund and European Investment Bank to invest in jobs now.

“Unfortunately the government’s recent rhetoric on jobs has little to do with job creation and all to do with its austerity treaty campaign.”