FINE GAEL RALLY:FINE GAEL leaders past and present have appealed to supporters to rise above party considerations and vote for the Lisbon Treaty in the national interest.
The joint call was made at a Fine Gael rally in a Dublin hotel last night by party leader Enda Kenny and one of his predecessors, former taoiseach Dr Garret FitzGerald.
"The eyes of 500 million people are now looking at this country," Mr Kenny said. It was both "a privilege and a responsibility" to be taking this "fundamentally momentous" decision. He stressed that "inter-party rows" had nothing to do with the Lisbon Treaty. "This is about your country, this is about your future."
Reiterating that the referendum was above party politics, he urged Fine Gael supporters to put the national interest first and drew a contrast with the Fianna Fáil stance of opposition when the Anglo-Irish Agreement was negotiated by Dr FitzGerald in the 1980s.
Fine Gael had been campaigning for a Yes vote "since January". He pointed out that this was "long before the Government parties came out of the traps". Fine Gael had organised 50 public meetings throughout the State.
Commenting on Taoiseach Brian Cowen's position regarding possible use of the veto in the world trade talks, Mr Kenny said: "We have been looking for clarity on that and, while it has come late, it is welcome."
Dr FitzGerald said that more than any other such document, Lisbon "bears the stamp of Irish involvement". He said: "This treaty is more of an Irish treaty than any other treaty ever drawn up."
Dr FitzGerald added: "The Fine Gael people should follow the leadership of their party. This is for the country, it's a question of patriotism, not party politics."
German MEP Elmar Brok said a defeat for the treaty would mean "a weaker, less-important, less-successful EU". There was no threat to Irish neutrality. "The Irish veto stays as the German veto stays. There is absolutely no change in that," Mr Brok said.
Gay Mitchell MEP said the treaty was part of the preparation for a world where China would be the most powerful country and Europe would only have 7 per cent of global population. Far from losing our sovereignty when we joined what is now the EU, Mr Mitchell said: "We probably never became truly sovereign till we joined the EU."
Fine Gael TD Lucinda Creighton said: "The Lisbon Treaty is absolutely crucial in tackling the global economic challenges that lie ahead."
