CHAIRWOMAN OF the People’s Movement Patricia McKenna has accused the Department of Foreign Affairs of producing “propaganda” in favour of the Lisbon Treaty.
She claimed information booklets published by the department and the Referendum Commission were selective and misleading.
“These documents are an abuse of taxpayers’ money because both . . . are designed in such a way as to try and influence the vote,” she said. “It ties in with the propaganda coming out from the Department of Foreign Affairs.”
However, Mr Martin yesterday described his department’s material as accurate and correct, while the Referendum Commission has previously denied allegations of bias.
Speaking in Dublin yesterday, Mr Martin said Ireland’s negotiating strength in formulating European Union agriculture and fishery policy would be undermined by a Lisbon No vote.
The Minister, who is director of Fianna Fáil’s referendum campaign, also said canvassers had identified significant numbers of voters switching from No to Yes ahead of the vote on October 2nd. “A No vote, which would in essence derail the Lisbon process, would over time undermine our negotiating strength . . . We would be moving to the margins of the European Union.”
He said Ireland had been “marketed” as a gateway to the European Union and a No vote would send a signal to international investors that the country was becoming “inward and insular”.
Meanwhile, the patron of the People’s Movement, artist Robert Ballagh, accused Mr Martin of making “misleading” statements to frighten Irish voters.
“There is no second-tier Europe. I’m absolutely aghast that someone like Martin . . . could come out with misleading information like that,” he said.
Independent TD Finian McGrath urged people to examine the treaty on its merits.
Mr McGrath said on RTÉ Radio yesterday. “I’m furious about the banking situation and the developers and some of the mad political decisions. What I’m saying to the ‘don’t know’ voters is let’s look at the treaty itself.”
