Sinn Féin claims to defend the constitution it refuses to acknowledge

SINN Féin claims it is defending the very constitution they refuse to acknowledge from the contents of the Lisbon Treaty.

The Sinn Féin propaganda document, ‘An alternative guide to the Lisbon Treaty’, is just that — an alternative to the true version.

Every possible negative is enhanced and then further exaggerated. Despite the fact that the Civil, Public and Services Union and the ICTU have come out in favour of the treaty, the Sinn Féin alternative document states: “It (Lisbon) seriously undermines workers’ rights and public services”.

It is ironic that Sinn Féin claims the role of protectors of a constitution they refuse to recognise (Bunreacht na hÉireann) as in, for example, the following quote from their false claims about the imposition of a common EU defence: “The Triple Lock (requires) a UN authorisation and the consent of the government and Leinster House.”

Does the party not recognise the Oireachtas, the houses of parliament provided for by the people in the very constitution Sinn Féin claims to be defending? They say “the Lisbon Treaty will actively undermine the EU’s stated objective of tackling developing world poverty and global inequality”.

Concern’s position on this, as set out in their submission to the Forum on Europe, is “the treaty confirms the principle that all EU policies having an impact on developing countries must be coherent with the union’s development policies and their implementation”. They concluded that this coherence clause is of greatest importance.

As the only Irish MEP who is a full member of the parliament’s development committee, I strongly support Concern’s assertion in this regard.

Would it be too much to ask Sinn Féin to put the interests of the world’s poorest people before their own political needs?

Gay Mitchell MEP

Fine Gael Campaign Director

Lisbon Treaty Referendum

51 Upper Mount Street

Dublin 2