Cowen ‘clear’ abortion is not part of Lisbon

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen said it is “crystal clear” that the issue of abortion does not arise in the Lisbon Treaty, as No campaigners vowed to make it a central issue between now and the October 2 vote.

Mr Cowen insisted the Irish Government has “absolutely cleared up” through a number of guarantees attached to the treaty, that it will retain control over this and other ethical questions.

“Every reasonable contention would be that there is no involvement whatever by the European Union in that issue,” he said. “We have got that clarification successively and it’s beenreiterated in our guarantees in June.”