Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has launched a strong attack on some anti-Lisbon treaty groups accusing them of running a campaign based on lies and untruths.
Mr Martin said the Irish people deserved an honest debate that focused on the real issues involved in the Lisbon Treaty and there should be no role for groups "cynically trying to hide their role".
Mr Martin accused anti-abortion group Youth Defence of masquerading behind "their front group, Cóir" and he said no one should be in any doubt but that Coir and Youth Defence were one and the same organisation. Cóir, however, said it was an "independent organisation" that was "lucky enough" to have the support and energy of some members of Youth Defence.
Speaking in Cork yesterday, Mr Martin said Cóir's leaders were all associated with Youth Defence, the two organisations shared the same address and Cóir's poster designs all come from Youth Defence.
"In fact as of early last week, there was not one single mention of Cóir on the door or windows of it supposed offices which were in fact decorated solely with Youth Defence logos and posters," he said.
Mr Martin said the posters put up by Youth Defence on Friday night claiming that ratification of Lisbon would be a betrayal of those who died in the Easter Rising was "both a disgrace and an insult to the heroes of 1916".
The posters relating to Irish sovereignty carry representations of Padraig Pearse, Tom Clarke and James Connolly with the caption “They won your freedom — don’t throw it away” and urge people to vote ‘No’ in the Lisbon referendum.
"It is the duty of every person who respects the great generation which sacrificed so much for us to come out and work against these people and what they stand for," he said.
"Pro-Europeans must start speaking up and pointing to the clear fact that it is the ideas of anti-EU groups which represent a move away from the ideas of sovereignty and identity upon which this state is founded.
"Their insular, defensive approach to Europe has no serious precedent in our history and it has nothing new to offer us now," said Mr Martin in a speech to the Ógra Fianna Fáil conference in Cork.
He also accused Youth Defence of peddling lies and untruths with their claims that ratification of the Lisbon Treaty would lead to abortion becoming available in Ireland.
He strongly condemned as “inaccurate and misleading” posters put up by Youth Defence on Friday night claiming Ireland would lose its sovereignty and face cuts to the national minimum wage if Lisbon II is passed
The posters suggest Irish workers could face a drop in pay rates, proclaiming ” €1.84 - Minimum Wage after Lisbon?” and again urge voters to vote No and reject the treaty.
He said the poster was a total distortion of the facts as the EU does not have the power to set national minimum wage rates which remain a matter for national governments.
"People on all sides are entitled to be heard but the issues in this referendum are too serious to let a shadowy and extreme group distort the debate with a deeply cynical campaign," he said.
Spokesman for Cóir Richard Greene said attempts by Mr Martin to "smear" the group's campaign were “entirely pathetic”.
Mr Greene said the Minister’s comments “smacked of desperation", since he was "clearly aware that Cóir’s canvassers are already having a significant effect right across the country”.
“The Minister can bluster as much as he likes, but the fact remains that the Lisbon Treaty does nothing for Ireland and Cóir are engaged in a nationwide campaign to ensure that voters understand the treaty and the reasons to vote No,” said Mr Greene.
He said Mr Martin had previously “tried and failed” to attack Cóir by alleging it was a front for Youth Defence.
“When will the Minister realise that voters have no problem with either Cóir’s pro-life stance or the fact that, while Cóir is an independent organisation, we are lucky enough to have the support and energy of some Youth Defence members.”
“Fianna Fáíl spent their time accusing Cóir of lying about Lisbon and abortion last year. Yet their own research showed that most people believed Cóir on the issue,” said Mr Greene.
Mr Greene said Fianna Fáil and the other political parties had "thoroughly disgraced politics, and cost the taxpayer tens of millions of euro paying for tribunals investigating the murky and dishonest nature of Irish political life".
He said that the Minister’s "real problem" was that Cóir volunteers were busy canvassing and postering with the same excellent material produced last year and were having a significant effect on voting intentions.
“We have over 2600 volunteers this year, an increase of 30 per cent over last year; a million leaflets are going out and 11,000 posters are being erected. Anyone is welcome to join Cóir and they are doing so in increasing numbers. In the meantime, Fianna Fáil are terrified of going near the doors.”