Ryan criticised over treaty comments

Sinn Féin has criticised claims by Green Party Minister Eamon Ryan that Europe would face "chaos" if the Lisbon Treaty is rejected.

In a report in today's Irish Times, Mr Ryan rejected the idea that a "Plan B" existed which would be produced if Ireland voted No in the referendum. 

Sinn Féin Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald today accused the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources of "creating hysteria" and said that his comments were unhelpful.

"It is the responsibility of all political parties over the next two weeks to engage in a calm mature discussion on the contents and implications of the Lisbon Treaty for the peoples of Europe.

Hysteria from any party so close to June 12th is reckless when so many voters remain undecided. Hysteria is no substitute for reasoned debate," she said.

"Threats of chaos are nonsense as is Minister Ryan's assertion that there is no plan B in the event that the Lisbon Treaty is rejected by the Irish people. Of course there is a plan B, there is always a plan B in political life. By rejecting this treaty we can give the Irish government a strong mandate to negotiate a better deal. Ireland and Europe deserves better," she added.

Elsewhere, the People's Movement, which is headed by former Green Party MEP Patricia McKenna, has called for the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) to be brought in to observe and carry out an assessment of the Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign in Ireland.

Ms McKenna said there was growing disquiet among all groups on the No side about the campaign, which she said was neither fair nor balanced.

"I believe that in the interests of democracy and transparency it is necessary for the Minister for Foreign Affairs to issue an invitation to the OSCE without further delay," said Ms McKenna.

McKenna said that the OSCE had previously been invited to observe the 2007 general election and added that it had carried out a similar Election Assessment Mission for the General Elections held in the UK in 2005.

"This campaign involves much more deep-rooted distrust on both sides and the views of an outside neutral body would be invaluable. The one sided nature of the campaign, media bias, imbalance in funding and the outside involvement of politically powerful vested interests are all valid reasons to justify the need for outside monitoring," said Ms McKenna. 

Meanwhile, anti-Lisbon activist and founder of Libertas Declan Ganley came in for heavy criticism today for recent comments he made regarding adoption of the Charter of Fundamental Rights as part of the Reform Treaty.

The Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore described a claim made by Mr Ganley, that adoption of the Charter would lead to the detention of young children for educational purposes, "as probably the most misleading and outrageous claim made to date by those seeking a No vote."

Mr Gilmore called on Mr Ganley to withdraw the claim and also urged organisations opposing the Treaty to disassociate themselves from the allegation.

The Labour Party leader said the adoption of the Treaty and the Charter of Human Rights would greatly enhance the rights of children in Ireland and the rest of the EU.