FINE GAEL AND Labour have called for a Yes vote in the upcoming referendum on the Stability Treaty, saying it is about adopting a policy of “good housekeeping which this country badly needs at this moment”.
Speaking at a joint Fine Gael and Labour event, the director of elections for the two parties, Simon Coveney and Joan Burton, were critical of opponents of the Treaty. Simon Coveney called on people to read the Treaty for themselves when it is sent out to every household in the country.
Unlike previous Treaties, this is not a long or complex document – but it is hugely important. The Treaty will not solve all of Ireland’s problems, but it is a major step forward on our road to recovery.
Minister Burton compared the Treaty to a safety net for Ireland and said a No vote would have a negative effect on Ireland’s finances in the future. She said:
Opponents of the Stability Treaty are not just asking you to vote no. They are also asking you to take a leap into the dark which will put this country back into the eye of the political and economic storm.
The Minister for Social Protection said passing the Treaty would ensure foreign employers continue to invest and would also give Ireland an insurance policy that would allow access to a special assistance fund if it becomes necessary in the future.
The most recent opinion poll found that less than one in five people understand what the Treaty is about. The same poll found 42 per cent of people planned to vote Yes, 27 per cent planned to vote No, and 32 per cent of voters haven’t yet decided how they will vote.
Meanwhile Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has reiterated his party’s call for a No vote and said that passing the Treaty will block a return to growth for the economy.
Speaking at the party’s Ard Comhairle meeting in Dublin, Adams said that the Treaty would result in an additional €6 billion being taken from the domestic economy in 2015 and urged the electorate to vote against it.
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