THE STAKES for Ireland “could not be higher” as the Government presses ahead with its second attempt at ratifying the Lisbon Treaty, according to Minister of State for European Affairs Dick Roche.
The Government was buoyed by recent opinion polls showing a public shift towards supporting the treaty but was taking nothing for granted about the second Lisbon referendum later this year, Mr Roche said in a speech at Queen’s University, Belfast, yesterday.
He said the Government has not yet taken a decision on the date for the referendum, although it has agreed it must take place before the end of October.
He appealed for a reasoned debate about the critical issues. “We must endeavour to conduct a calm and serious debate about our place in Europe, based on hard facts and not on half-truths, inaccuracies and outright distortions, which unfortunately was a feature of many interventions during our last referendum campaign,” he said. “The stakes for Ireland could not be higher. The current global economic and financial crisis makes it more important than ever that we convey the unambiguous messages that Ireland is determined to maintain our position as a central and active member of the EU,” added Mr Roche.
“The doubts about Ireland’s future place in Europe, generated by our rejection of the treaty last June have had a negative impact in the minds of the international financial and investment community.
“In the present circumstances, these are doubts which, quite frankly, we can ill afford,” he said.
“The Government is certain that it is in our vital national interest to remove these doubts and uncertainties. I believe that Ireland’s ratification by referendum of the Treaty of Lisbon would send a strong signal to our partners and to the wider world that Ireland remains committed to working with its EU partners within a union that is equipped to serve the shared interests of Europeans in what will undoubtedly be challenging times in the years ahead,” he added.
“A decision by our people to ratify the treaty would, I believe, also boost the European Union by banishing institutional uncertainties that have troubled us in recent years and signalling Europe’s readiness and willingness to play its full part in restoring growth, stability and sustainability to the international system.”
Mr Roche said the determining factor for many people in deciding either to abstain or vote No in the June referendum was a lack of information and knowledge, not only about the treaty, but about the workings of the European Union generally. This was an issue that must be addressed.
He said research showed that 42 per cent of people who voted No cited lack of information for so doing.
Other issues that caused uncertainty included whether Ireland would retain its European commissioner, corporation tax, neutrality, conscription and abortion. These key concerns were being addressed, while it was now established that if the treaty were ratified Ireland and all EU members will have a commissioner.
Mr Roche said that the EU was a fully accountable, democratic body which had “been the redemption of Europe”. He added: “Those who spread allegations about unaccountable elites in Brussels foisting decisions on the people of Europe are badly mistaken. Either they completely misunderstand the manner in which the union operates, or they mischievously misrepresent the reality of how the union operates. The fact is that, at every step, the people’s representatives take the decisions and are fully accountable for them.”