A YES vote is the first step to economic recovery – Gormley

Green Party leader John Gormley today said Lisbon NO campaigners who question the validity of Ireland’s Lisbon guarantees are simply telling lies. Addressing the Green Party’s final YES to Lisbon campaign press conference, Minister Gormley said the 27 EU governments had given Ireland guarantees on security, neutrality, taxation and other issues.

“It is quite simply a lie to claim these guarantees are worthless. There is utterly no precedent in the 52-year history of the EU for guarantees such as this not being honoured. They will be honoured.” The Green Party leader said he hoped the Irish people will say YES to Lisbon on Friday. “I see it as the first essential step towards economic recovery,” he said.

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan said energy solidarity had been a founding principle of the original European Coal and Steel Community. “Lisbon updates EU energy policy and will help promote new, clean and renewable energy sources for future generations.”

Green Party European Affairs spokesperson Senator Deirdre de Burca said a YES vote would mean a more effective EU. “The Lisbon Treaty will equip the EU to deal more efficiently with key issues like climate change and cross-border crime and also protect workers’ rights,” she said.

Renewable energy pioneer Eddie O’Connor, and the Chair of Sustainable Energy Ireland Brendan Halligan joined the Green Party at their press conference today to back the call for a YES vote. As part of its campaign the Party unveiled pavement advertisements, which are cleaned into the dirt on Dublin’s streets. Several ‘promo bikes’ towing bus shelter size ads around the city with the message ‘Tired of the same old lies being peddled around? So are we. Vote Yes to Lisbon,’ were also on show.

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Press Release by Deirdre