Give voters the full story on a CD

WHETHER there is a murky secret or an innocent explanation behind the controversy over the leaked government memo on the Lisbon treaty, it at least highlights one important fact — that few Irish people have easy access to the text of the treaty text and even a smaller number have had the opportunity to read and study it.

On June 12 we will have a referendum to change our constitution and allow the Government to ratify the treaty.

It is vital every citizen has the opportunity to read the text of the treaty and to view in its totality the existing EU treaties as they will be amended by Lisbon.

In our campaign against this treaty, the Workers’ Party has proposed that a copy of the treaty should be made available to every voter. In view of the deadline imposed by the June 12 voting date, the most expeditious way to achieve mass circulation of the treaty text is by CD.

We therefore publicly propose that a CD, with both the Lisbon treaty text and the consolidated text, be prepared and circulated with the weekend newspapers within the next few weeks. This would allow for maximum circulation over a very concentrated time period at minimal cost.

This proposal does not absolve the Government from providing a much greater number of printed copies of the treaty than heretofore to facilitate the many people who do not have access to, or may not be comfortable with, computer technology.

Pádraig Mannion

Lisbon Treaty Campaign Director

The Workers’ Party

23 Hill Street

Dublin 1