Final push for votes ahead of referendum

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Opponents and supporters of the Lisbon Treaty have been making their final push for votes today in advance of Thursday's referendum.

With broadcasting organisations observing the traditional eve-of-vote moratorium on referendum news tomorrow, today was the last chance for the various parties and campaign groups to set out their stall for voters.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen has told RTÉ's Six One News that if there is a No vote, Ireland could not wait another eight years for reform of the EU in order to compete with emerging economies such as China and India.

He added that Europe will go back to an uncertain situation if the Lisbon Treaty is defeated. 

In a final push for a yes vote, Mr Cowen said all of Ireland's concerns had been catered for in the treaty. Asked about Ireland's neutrality, Mr Cowen said the treaty respects Ireland's position and the triple-lock policy would remain.

He said Ireland was not going to get involved in any mutual defence pacts. In response to concerns that Ireland would lose its commissioner, Mr Cowen said there is already an agreement in place to reduce the number of Commissioners under the Nice Treaty. 

He added that Ireland retains its current commissioner until 2014. 

On the same programme, Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou McDonald said that she believes 'there is a better deal to be negotiated', and that the Lisbon Treaty is 'a bad deal for Ireland and the union as a whole'.

On the question of European institutions, the loss of Ireland's permanent commissioner 'has been very, very contentious', and Ms McDonald has 'absolutely no doubt that...very many member states would...understand the common sense of maintaining a commissioner'.

There is 'an echo of some of the issues raised in France and the Netherlands' when they rejected 'this same package' in voting against the European Constitution, and what is needed is 'strong public pressure...and a clear mandate to renegotiate the treaty', she said.

In the aftermath of the rejection of the European Constitution by French and Dutch voters there was a process 'of repackaging', and 'a political decision was made to make cosmetic changes' to the constitution. 'Ireland is a fly on the ointment because a referendum is needed here', Ms McDonald asserted.

Sinn Fein has identified issues 'which must be renegotiated', and Mary Lou Mc Donald believes that such a move 'can command support across member states'. What is key is that 'the Government with the ball at its foot taking the initiative and taking up the political challenge', she said.

'If we vote it (Lisbon Treaty) down, it does not come into effect', and this will create 'a political opportunity', she said. 'We need to take a measured a long term view of treaty', she said, as Ireland's 'key interests are not protected'.

Campaigns clash over treaty renegotiation

Earlier, minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin stressed it was 'dishonest to suggest' that the Lisbon Treaty could be renegotiated if it is rejected.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio's News At One, Mr Martin accused the No campaign of creating 'a sense of conspiracy' when Ireland had nothing to fear from Europe. 

However, anti-Lisbon campaigner Senator Shane Ross said on the same programme that there was 'no doubt' the Treaty could be renegotiated if we voted No.

Libertas chairman Declan Ganley told reporters that Irish voters are being bullied and lied to about the consequences of a rejection of the Lisbon Treaty.

Mr Ganley urged voters to come out on Thursday and reject the Treaty so that politicians would have to renegotiate it.

He also defended his organisation's campaign, insisting that it complied with electoral legislation.

Mr Cowen earlier addressed a Fianna Fáil news conference in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin.

He said it was his deeply held belief that the Lisbon Treaty was crucial to Ireland's future prospects. He was convinced people would see through the negative arguments and expressed confidence that by close of polls the Yes side would have prevailed.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who was joined by his four predecessors in The Shelbourne, described Thursday as a moment of truth for this country.

He said he had put party politics aside to campaign for a vote that would determine whether or not Ireland remained at the axis of influence in Europe.

Labour's Eamon Gilmore said a No vote would result in confusion and uncertainty with people worried about their jobs and unemployment topping 200,000 today. He said this was not the time to raise doubts about our relationship with Europe.

The Irish Alliance for Europe brought together a range of people from different sectors of society to call for a Yes vote this afternoon.

Treaty opponents were also pushing strongly for votes - a number of Irish trade unions called for a No vote this morning.

At a final news conference on O'Connell Street in Dublin, Gerry Adams repeated his belief that a better deal was possible, saying Sinn Féin's experience in the peace process showed it was possible to continue negotiations.

And he said the Government were not 'wilting violets', and would be able to go back to Brussels to renegotiate if voters turned down Lisbon on Thursday.

The People's Movement accused the Yes side of bullying the Irish people as panic set in, and claimed Lisbon was designed to facilitate the privatisation of public services and the militarisation of Europe.

And a group of trade unionists, including Unite and the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union, urged workers to reject Lisbon as it was good for big business, not for workers' rights.

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