THE GOVERNMENT would not resign and call a general election in the event of another rejection of the Lisbon Treaty on October 2nd, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has said.
Speaking at the launch of a second White Paper on the treaty at Government Buildings yesterday, he said: “The Government will not resign in terms of the outcome of this particular treaty because this is not about Government.
“This is about the future of the Irish people, and the future of Irish society within the European Union, and it transcends the Government, it transcends every political party.
“That is why I welcome the involvement of so many civic society groups in the campaign because this issue is a matter for every individual citizen to make up his or her mind as to where they want their country to be in the years to come.”
Asked if there would be renewed tensions between the main parties on the Yes side, as there were last time, he said: “We have had very good consultation with all of the parties over the last number of weeks.”
The Minister said he had even met Sinn Féin, who opposed the treaty in the last referendum. He had also met all the Independent TDs.
He said the second White Paper updated the previous version published in April last year, ahead of the first Lisbon referendum. It was intended to enhance public information and awareness of the document and the package of guarantees and assurances secured at last month’s European Council.
“It situates the Lisbon Treaty in the wider context of Ireland’s EU interests, including the importance of our EU membership as a framework for economic recovery. It explains the package of legal guarantees and assurances and how these came about.
“The White Paper sets out, in a comprehensive manner, the innovations and changes provided for under the Lisbon Treaty.
“The text sets out the broad approach taken by the Government throughout the negotiations that led to the Lisbon Treaty.”
The Minister said the White Paper was “designed to be accessible to the general reader, and it is hoped that it will facilitate serious and well-informed debate about a matter of the utmost national significance”.
“The publication of this White Paper will complement an information postcard which is being distributed this week to every household in the State and which explains, in a succinct way, the significance of the legal guarantees and assurances secured by Ireland.
“A dedicated website, www.lisbontreaty.ie, has been put in place in order to ensure that information concerning the treaty is again widely available.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs is to distribute an initial 5,000 copies of the White Paper to public representatives, libraries, citizens’ information centres, local authorities and to members of the public on request.
The cost of preparing, designing and publishing the White Paper was given as €50,000, which is to come from the department’s Lisbon Treaty information budget of €700,000.
The Minister told a press conference the budget for the Referendum Commission headed by Mr Justice Frank Clarke was €4.2 million, which represented a reduction of “about 16 per cent” since last year’s referendum.
Insisting that the White Paper and related items constituted information rather than propaganda, Mr Martin said: “The material we have provided is absolutely about information, it’s not advocacy.
“We are not asking anyone in our information to vote Yes or No, but we are providing information.
“And I think the research indicates that we need to provide information. There is an obligation on us to provide information.”
Key points
- The Government views ratification of the Lisbon Treaty as "a vital contribution" to our economic recovery.
- The Government was "very satisfied" with the outcome of the European Council in December 2008 and in particular with the decision that the commission should continue to include one national per member state.
- The European Council in June 2009 "delivered fully" on the commitments made to Ireland in December 2008. The Government is "completely satisfied" with the outcome.
- The Government considers that the legal guarantees secured at the European Council, together with the Solemn Declaration on Workers' Rights and Social Policy, provide "strong reassurance" in respect of the key concerns that affected the outcome of the 2008 referendum.
- The Government is also happy that our legal guarantees will in the coming years acquire full treaty status as a protocol".
- The Government considers that this package of guarantees provides a highly satisfactory basis for consulting the people on the Lisbon Treaty later this year.