Cowen insists party will have strong Yes campaign

TÁNAISTE BRIAN Cowen insisted his party would campaign vigorously for a Yes vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum, which he described as an "important strategic decision for the Irish people".

The Government campaign will begin on May 12th, and the Tánaiste, who said his party had already held 50 meetings across the State, stressed that "the people have discernment and they will respond to a clear elucidation of the issues during this referendum campaign".

He was responding to Opposition calls for him to take leadership of the campaign because of the "atrocious lack of information" from the Government and fears about the spread of "off the wall" claims about what the treaty contained.

The 28th Amendment to the Constitution Bill, which paves the way for the referendum to go ahead on June 12th, was passed in the Dáil last night, with five TDs against. Those opposed were the four Sinn Féin deputies and Tony Gregory (Independent, Dublin Central).

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said there were claims that "the Lisbon Treaty will introduce euthanasia, abortion, the limiting of family sizes, tax harmonisation, an ending of neutrality, an ending of sovereignty, the introduction of a dictatorship".

Mr Kenny said it was "stuff that is completely and utterly false and off the wall and is not in any way relevant to the facts contained in the Lisbon Treaty".

He wanted to "put an end to these theories of conspiracy that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour, the Progressive Democrats, the Greens and some Independents are all involved in some subterranean underlying conspiracy to introduce all of these matters into the country".

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said there was a combination of lack of information, misinformation and "many red herrings" which were "causing a reluctance among people to support this treaty".

He said the Labour Party supported the treaty "on its merits, but "there is a necessity for the Tánaiste to take command of this campaign as soon as possible and for there to be a greater evidence of Government energy in promoting the treaty than there has been to date".

Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, whose party opposes the treaty, said there was "a wide body of people who are deeply concerned at what is involved. I agree with them and we will continue to argue that case."

He added that "we all have a responsibility to respect the right of others to offer an alternative view, and it should be conducted in a mature and respectful debate process".

Mr Cowen said they would campaign vigorously for a Yes vote, "because we believe it is in the national interest to do so and in the interests of the citizens we serve, and for no other reason".

The Bill now goes to the Seanad.