Fine Gael today launched a €500,000 ad campaign for a Yes vote in the upcoming Lisbon Treaty referendum.
The party began its lobbying in early March, with a series of public meetings on the referendum, but its official campaign will include nationwide and online advertising, a new website and literature explaining the treaty.
Fine Gael's campaign director Gay Mitchell said the treaty was about ensuring peace and stability in Europe, by building interdependence.
"Lisbon is about giving the EU the structures and capacity to keep an influential role in a changing world. We cannot hope to keep a prominent place in global affairs if we continue to rotate the Presidency of the European Council every six months," he said.
"Energy security and climate change are best dealt with at EU level. On their own, Member States are not capable of meeting these challenges."
Mr Mitchell warned that Ireland's new-found influence would suffer if the treaty was rejected on June 12th.
"Messing about with Europe is not in our interests and no matter what way you want to put it that is what we would be doing if we vote No, for we have no idea what the consequences could be. Having got everything we asked for in the negotiations I find it hard to see any reasonable case for telling the other 26 that we have found some special or particular obstacle," he said.
The Lisbon Treaty has been the source of much confusion for voters, with 80 per cent admitting recently that they do not understand what the treaty is about.
The No campaign has already begun, with opponents to the Lisbon Treaty warning that Irish interests will be damaged if it is ratified. Sinn Fein has come out against the treaty, urging voters to reject it to protect workers. There have also been concerns over Ireland's right to veto demands by European Union member states for changes to its business taxes, and whether the treaty would alter this.