Sinn Féin opens No campaign

Sinn Féin today claimed the Lisbon treaty was an out-of-date document that was bad for the Irish and European economy as the party unveiled its No campaign in Dublin.

Speaking at the launch in Buswells Hotel, Molesworth Street, Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the treaty was part of the "failed economy consensus of the past".

"It was drafted by right wing politicians who have led the European economy into recession. It contains many of the right wing economic policies that have caused the recession and that continue to prevent member state governments from responding effectively to the recession," he said.

"It is the treaty of Bertie Ahern and Charlie McCreevy, of Silvio Berlusconi, Jose Manuel Barroso and Nicolas Sarkozy.

“Since 2004 the European Commission . . . has introduced proposal after proposal undermining sustainable economic growth, public services and workers rights," he said.

The TD said commission's "singular focus" on economic competitiveness had weakened the ability of member states to strategically intervene in the economy. “The Lisbon Treaty increases the powers of the Commission to peruse its right wing economic agenda despite the fact that such policies have been widely discredited by recent events," Mr Ó Caoláin said.

“We fully expect the Yes side to use the recession as a scare tactic to bully the electorate into voting for this treaty. However, ratifying the Lisbon treaty will make our present economic crisis worse. The treaty is bad for both the Irish and the European economy.

“The Lisbon treaty is now out of date. . . We need a new treaty for new times,” Mr Caoláin said.

Party vice president Mary Lou McDonald and EU affairs spokesman Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD also attended the campaign launch.

Ms McDonald, who lost her European seat in the June elections, claimed guarantees thrashed out in Brussels last December to address Irish concerns had not changed the charter.

"The Lisbon Treaty was a bad deal for Ireland when it was presented to the people last year and it remains the very same bad deal," she said. "Sinn Fein will continue to fight for a better deal for Ireland and for Europe."

Elsewhere, the three Fianna Fáil MEPs - Brian Crowley, Pat the Cope Gallagher and Liam Aylward - issued a statement declaring Irish neutrality was "fully protected" under the terms of the Lisbon Treaty and by the new legal guarantee.

Noting many people were concerned the treaty diminished Irish neutrality, Mr Crowley said: "That is why I fully welcome and support the legal guarantee concerning defence and security issues which was agreed for Ireland by EU leaders at their last summit in June.

"The terms of this guarantee which is legally binding are very clear. The Lisbon treaty does not provide for the creation of a European army or for conscription. The Lisbon treaty does not affect the right for Ireland or any other EU member state to determine the volume and the nature of its defence and security expenditure.”

Pat 'the Cope' Gallagher said: "The bottom line here is that this legally binding guarantee means that Ireland decides issues concerning our defence policy and no one else."

The MEPs said the guarantees and the fact Ireland can now nominate one member of the European Commission at all times provides a new basis on which to ask people to ratify the treaty.