In the party’s last press conference before polling , Green leader John Gormley yesterday described as “utterly without foundation” claims that Irish people will be conscripted into a European army.

Mr Gormley said the claim was first made last year and was still being voiced on national radio today. He said that the propaganda of the No side has worked to some degree but insisted the claim had no truth.

“And on the whole question of military spending, it’s clear that the guarantees we have received is that Ireland is the author of its own destiny in that regard,” he said.

“We are proud that the guarantees we have introduced ensures that Ireland only participates in [operations] that are in line with the UN charter, that have a UN mandate and are approved by the Oireachtas and Government.”

Mr Gormley, the Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan and Senator Deirdre de Búrca said at the conference that another key reason to back the treaty was because of its direct references to combating climate change.

Mr Gormley said that the clauses on climate change had been specifically inserted into the treaty at the insistence of his party.

Mr Ryan said that if there is a Yes vote on Friday, it will pave the way for economic recovery. “The recovery starts on Saturday,” he said.

Mr Ryan also argued that a Yes vote was necessary if Irish people wanted to tackle climate change and to switch over from fossil fuel.

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.

The Green Party today said the Lisbon Treaty would have no effect on Ireland’s neutrality and would not force young Irish men into war. At a press conference in the European Parliament offices in Dublin, Austrian Green MEP Ulrike Lunacek joined her Irish Green Party colleagues in maintaining that the Lisbon Treaty posed no threat to neutral countries.

Lisbon Campaign Director and Green Party spokesperson on Defence and European Affairs Senator Deirdre de Burca said: “Following the results of the first Lisbon Referendum, the Government’s Millward Brown survey discovered that 48% of people voted no because they believed the Treaty would allow for military conscription. Of those who voted yes, 26% they understood that this was also the case.

“The message must go out loud and clear that the Lisbon Treaty will have no effect on Ireland’s neutrality. Young men will not go to war because of this treaty. Ireland’s Triple Lock mechanism, which was incorporated into the Irish Constitution since the second Nice referendum, bars Ireland from joining an EU Common Defence. It requires that any overseas armed deployment of the Irish Defence Forces of more than 12 soldiers must have UN authorisation, formal approval of the Irish government and be endorsed by the Dáil.

“The rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in the June 2008 referendum has been followed by the negotiation of similar but more detailed guarantees in the field of security and defence policy. One of these legal guarantees states that “the Lisbon Treaty does not affect or prejudice Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality”.

Austrian Green MEP and European Green Party spokesperson Ulrike Lunacek said: “Before our Parliament ratified the Lisbon Treaty we had very similar debates in Austria to those taking place now in Ireland. When I was a member of the Austrian Parliament we examined very closely if Lisbon posed any threat to our constitutionally protected neutrality and, as Greens, we had reservations about some of the military and defence aspects of the Treaty. It is clear that Lisbon was not written to specifically suit any one political party or one country – be it Austria or Ireland. It was designed to accommodate a European Union of 27 countries and nearly 500 million citizens, and it is, on balance, a Treaty that Greens and progressive voters can and should support.”

“There is nothing in Lisbon that threatens Austria’s neutrality and the role of our national parliament in making foreign policy decisions. The Treaty recognised the need for a UN mandate in any peacekeeping missions. And all of this is also true for Ireland.

“Lisbon gives European citizens more rights, including through the new citizens initiative. It also gives parliaments, which contain the directly elected representatives of our citizens, more influence on EU legislation both at a national level and in the European Parliament.

“The alternative to Lisbon, the status quo, is no improvement.”

Nuala Ahern, who held a European seat for the Green Party between 1994 and 2004 said: “It’s important that neutral states like Austria, Finland and Ireland support each other. On nuclear issues, we are very much in tandem. There’s room within the EU for all views. Non-NATO States like Ireland and Austria offer a countervailing force to NATO countries like France and Britain – and it’s important that our voice is heard.”

The No campaigners who have claimed that the Lisbon Treaty would do nothing for environmental protection are becoming increasingly desperate in their attempts to discredit the Treaty, the Green Party’s European Affairs spokesperson Senator Deirdre de Burca said this morning.

Senator de Burca, who is directing the Greens’ referendum campaign, said: “The Lisbon Treaty will have a positive impact on environmental protection and it will empower the EU in the fight against climate change. Anybody that denies this is being dishonest.The EU has a long and impressive record of promoting high standards of environmental protection. It has given considerable leadership on climate change to date.

The Green Party Senator claimed that rather than using specific Treaty articles to support their claims, the No side “had only their opinions to back them up.”

“The Lisbon Treaty strengthens the legal base of the EU in relation to environmental matters through through Article 37 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Article 191 of the TFEU dealing with Climate Change, and Article 194 which gives the EU a new competence in the area of energy and prioritises energy efficiency and the the development of renewable energy sources,” she said.

“Environmental NGOs, climate change campaigners, eco businesses and Greens from across Europe support my Party’s view that the Treaty will better equip the EU to fight climate change, protect the environment and create clean and secure energy supplies.

“The No side are supported by a contradictory minority of fringe and extremist left and right wing groups.

“While they criticise the positive and truthful points made by the Green Party and authoritative voices like Duncan Stewart and John Gibbons, the Lisbon rejectionists put forward not a shred of evidence as to how a No vote would benefit the environment or aid the fight against climate change. No such evidence exists,” Senator De Burca concluded.

  
Saying Yes to Lisbon will ensure that Ireland remains at the heart of a political system that has a long and impressive track record on environmental issues. As far as this country is concerned, the improvement in our water treatment faciltites, our growing recycling rates and the level of environmental protection we enjoy comes about as a direct result of our membership of the European Union.
The Lisbon Treaty sets out explicitly the EU’s values and objectives – and among these are improving the quality of the environment problems and fighting climate change. The EU has been at the forefront of leading the battle against climate change. It has agreed strong commitments and targets to reduce carbon emissions. US President Barack Obama has pledged to turn America in a new direction, in support of the leadership shown by the EU.
Article 37 of the Charter for Fundamental Rights ensures that European citizens have a right to a high level of environmental protection and that the improvement of the environment must be integrated into the policies of the Union. The Lisbon Treaty will make this Charter legally binding on EU institutions and on the Member States when they are implementing EU law.
Ireland is in a particularly vulnerable position as far as energy security is concerned. We are at the end of a long gas pipeline, which stretches from Russia, through the continent of Europe. 90 per cent of our energy is imported at present. Under the Lisbon Treaty the EU will have new responsibilities in the area of energy policy. The Lisbon Treaty commits the European Union to protect our energy supply, promote renewable energy and ensure energy solidarity between Member States. If Lisbon is passed, it will allow interlinked electricity grids to be established across the EU so that wind and wave power can be exported from Ireland, and hydro power and solar power can be imported from countries like Scandinavia and Spain .

A Yes vote to the Lisbon Treaty makes sense for anyone interested in protecting the Irish environment, ensuring our energy security for the future, and standing firmly with Europe and the UN in the battle against climate change.

Irish people have a very significant decision to make on October 2nd regarding the Lisbon Treaty. Women – who form approximately half of the population – will play an important part in deciding what kind of future Ireland sees for itself in relation to the European Union. The Women for Europe website (www.womenforeurope.ie) has been established by a non-political, civil society group of women campaigning for a Yes vote. It is a very useful resource for women who are trying to familiarize themselves with the Lisbon Treaty. I will be voting ‘yes’ for the Lisbon Treaty on October 2nd and hope that many other Irish women will be joining me on the day.

Senator de Burca says that she raised the issue of worker’s rights directly with the President of the European Commission last weekend when he visited Limerick. “President Barroso publicly assured me that he will oversee the introduction of a new Regulation that will address the problems that have arisen with regard to the implementation of the Posting of Workers Directive” she says. “This is very good news and should put any fears that people have with regard to the possible undermining of worker’s rights to rest.”

Speaking in the recently completed Trinity Point building on Leinster Street South, which was built to excellent energy efficiency specifications, Green Party Leader and Environment Minister John Gormley said: “There is a little over seven days before Ireland goes to the polls, and the outcome of the referendum is by no means decided. For anybody that shares my interests in combating climate change and protecting our environment, voting Yes to Lisbon is an absolute no-brainer.”

Minister Gormley continued: “In the last days US President Barack Obama has pledged to turn American in a new direction in the fight against climate change. He has obliterated the culture of denial and obstruction that characterised his predecessor’s attitude towards the greatest issue facing mankind. And he has been able to do this in part because of the ambitious and progressive leadership role played by the European Union. I have seen Europe lead the way internationally on climate change, and I see the Lisbon Treaty as a means for allowing Europe to continue this leadership, especially as we approach the crucial UN conference in Copenhagen this December.”

Green Party European Affairs spokesperson Senator Deirdre de Burca said: “Article 37 of The Charter for Fundamental Rights makes it clear that every European citizen can enjoy a right to a high level of environmental protection and that the improvement of the quality of the environment must be integrated into the policies of the Union. We know here in Ireland that most of our important environmental legislation, on water safety and quality, on air pollution and on dealing with our waste comes as a direct result of European directives.”

Acclaimed broadcaster and architect Duncan Stewart added: “If we look beyond the difficult economic issues we’re in, we’ll see that by the far the biggest threat facing us is climate change. We need to send out a strong message to the rest of the world that Ireland is fully behind the strong leadership of the EU on this issue. Without Europe, Ireland would be very weak and it would be difficult to achieve our important sustainable objectives. Ireland is in a very difficult position where 90 per cent of our energy is imported. Our fuel travels long distances – we are at the end of a very long pipeline. For security purposes and to help our switch to renewable energy we need more than ever to be at the heart of Europe.”

And John Gibbons, publisher and climate change campaigner said: “The EU has been the only show in town on climate for practically the last eight years. Without its efforts, the Copenhagen climate conference in December would be a non-event. Europe has led aggressively and from the front, moving at the pace of its most dynamic member states, and dragging the laggards along with them. Climate change and sustainability are not spectator sports. We’re all in it, like it or not. And for these reasons, and more, it has to be Yes to Lisbon.”

Note to editors: Trinity Point is a naturally ventilated office headquarters. It has a triple skin facade, which allows the building to cool naturally in the summer and store solar gain in the winter. The building management system controls natural airflow and sustains a constant temperature throughout the building and can give energy savings of up to 60% over normal office buildings.

Some photos of the event can be viewed at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thegreenparty

Senator de Burca said: “It is important that the fundamentalist and extremist views of those writing for the Alive newspaper should not be allowed to win the debate on the Lisbon Treaty. I believe that the people who produce this newspaper are the equivalent of an Irish Taliban.

“They represent repressive and reactionary forces in Irish society that want to roll back much of the social progress that has occurred in this country as a direct result of our membership of the European Union. It is quite incredible that they describe the rights set out in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights – women’s rights, the rights of children, elderly people and the disabled – as ‘dangerous’.”

Senator de Burca said she believes very few Irish people support the repressive and backward-looking vision of society being promoted by those writing for the Alive newspaper. “I am horrified to see advertisements in the Alive newspaper that prey on the fears of the elderly and the vulnerable in our society. On page 14 of the current newspaper, an advertisement claims that ‘under the Lisbon Treaty the EU could seize elderly people’s savings and homes, and can take children off people who suffer from mild forms of alcoholism or depression; or who do not own a family home’.”

Senator de Burca says that it is important that those who do support the progressive rights and values set out in the Lisbon Treaty should strongly refute the appalling claims being made by the Alive newspaper and those who speak on behalf of it and organisations such as Coir. “I would call on all right-thinking people to reject the warped and narrow vision of Irish society that they are trying to promote,” she concluded.

At a public meeting on the Lisbon Treaty hosted by the Feminist Open Forum last night in the Central Hotel in Dublin, the Green Party’s spokesperson on European Affairs, Senator Deirdre de Burca said that the Lisbon Treaty represented a ‘good deal for women’.

“The European Union has a very good track record in relation to women’s rights generally and has been responsible for our domestic legislation on equal pay, non-discrimination, maternity leave and parental leave” she said. “The Lisbon Treaty builds upon, and consolidates this” she said.

Senator de Burca told those present that the Lisbon Treaty would mainstream gender into all EU activities and would combat discrimination based on sex. She said that the Lisbon treaty would help the EU to fight against human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and children.

“The Lisbon Treaty also contains an objective to combat all kinds of domestic violence and requires Member States to take all necessary measures to prevent and punish such violence” she said.

The Green Party Senator also told her audience that the Lisbon Treaty contains strong policies that would help to tackle poverty in the developing world, make the European Union more accountable, democratic and transparent and enable its Members States to be better able to tackle major environmental challenges.

Senator de Burca urged Irish women to vote Yes to the Lisbon Treaty in the referendum on October 2nd