Sinn Féin wants treaty re-run ruled out

REACTION: SINN FÉIN MEP Mary Lou McDonald has called on the Government to tell the public that it will not try to re-run the…

REACTION:SINN FÉIN MEP Mary Lou McDonald has called on the Government to tell the public that it will not try to re-run the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

She also said new research on the results of the referendum proved the public strongly supported Sinn Féin's policy.

"The loss of a commissioner, the erosion of Ireland's neutrality, the undermining of workers' rights and declining democracy between the EU and its member states have all been cited as key reasons why the people said No to Lisbon," said Ms McDonald, who was a key opponent of the treaty during the referendum campaign.

"Today's report shows the majority of the Irish share our view," said Ms McDonald, who wants the Government to tell its EU partners at a summit next month that it wants a full-scale renegotiation of the treaty.

READ MORE

Ms McDonald called on Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin to announce that the Government would not hold a second referendum: "[Mr] Martin has claimed that the Government fully respects the vote of the Irish people. If this be the case then the Government must acknowledge . . . that there can be no re-run of the Lisbon Treaty."

Labour party spokesman on Europe Joe Costello said the survey showed lack of information was a key factor in the No vote. "No referendum should be put before the people ever again without properly informing them in the most comprehensive way possible," he said.

Employers' group Ibec warned that the No vote had badly damaged Ireland's international reputation and reduced its influence in Europe. Ibec director of EU and international affairs Brendan Butler said there was a price to pay for rejecting the treaty, and it was time to address the problem.