THE FISCAL treaty referendum is about ensuring the stability of the single European currency and this is the message the Labour Party will be sending out, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has said.
Speaking at the launch of his party’s referendum poster yesterday morning, he pledged that Labour would campaign “positively” in the month leading up to the May 31st referendum.
The poster depicts the Irish Tricolour against a background of blue sky and white clouds with the message: “It’s about stability – vote Yes.”
Mr Gilmore said: “We have a plan of campaign which will be largely centred on our members going door to door, talking with people one to one about this treaty.” He denied the Government parties were slow off the mark, and pointed out that the order setting the date for the referendum was only made yesterday.
“We couldn’t campaign before today – you couldn’t put up a poster before today,” he said.
Asked if he was concerned that issues such as the household and water charges could affect people’s voting choices, he said: “I think people will be able to make a distinction between what they feel about issues of one kind or another, and the stability of the euro.
“This treaty is about the euro and it’s about stability for the euro.
“Everybody knows themselves individually how important it is that there is a secure euro, that it is stable. People also understand the importance of it for investment in jobs.”
About the declared intention of his Socialist colleague in France, François Hollande, to change the treaty if elected president, Mr Gilmore said: “What he’s talking about is having a jobs and growth agenda for Europe, which is something that the Irish Government has already been talking about.”
He added that, on this issue, “We would very much be in the same place as François Hollande.”
Asked if the electorate would be voting on a treaty that could be subsequently altered, he said: “No, because he has also made it clear that he supports the budget-balancing measures and the budgetary discipline measures and the core elements of the treaty; so that won’t be changed.”
Labour’s director of elections, Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton, said the party’s message to the people was: “This is about your currency that you use every day. This is about the euro in your pocket.”
She added: “This is also about the signal that we send as a country to foreign investors who are using Ireland as a base within the euro zone.”
Asked if he was satisfied that the information booklet and leaflet being provided by the Government would be within the terms of the McKenna judgment on impartiality, Mr Gilmore said: “It is material that is being circulated for information. There is no advocacy being made in the material that is being circulated.”
When it was put to him that Ireland would need a second bailout, Mr Gilmore said: “No, it is not actually. If you look at the reviews that have been done by the troika, the most recent of which was completed last week, Ireland is meeting all of the targets that have been set for it in the programme.”
The Tánaiste said: “This campaign will be run positively. We are making the case very clearly.
“If you look at the record of this campaign to date, those of us who are arguing for a Yes vote have not said anything that is inaccurate.”
He contrasted this with the approach of Sinn Féin, which had produced a leaflet quoting three economists against the treaty who were actually supporting it.
