MEPs on the Lisbon Treaty
Liam Aylward
'The ratification of the Lisbon Treaty will lead to a stronger Europe and this in turn will lead to better law making. In the recent referendum in Ireland great concerns were expressed by the voters in relation to a number of issues, and I am happy to say that the legal guarantees and certainties that have now been granted to the Irish Government and the Irish people will help promote the Lisbon Treaty referendum next time out. There are many other issues where we have got guarantees, particularly in relation to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) where the budget will be under pressure post 2013. It is vitally important that Member States will co-operate together to ensure that money is made available to the budget for the future of the CAP. Europe needs to co-operate very closely in relation to energy policy, dealing with climate change and dealing with international crime. Only a strong, united Europe can do this and for that reason we must vote for the Lisbon Treaty.'
Nessa Childers
'The Lisbon Treaty would make the European Union work better so that it is stronger in the world and Ireland stronger in Europe.
Other new powerful trading blocks have upped there game to compete with us, a much greater share of the world's population is now trading in the same markets.
Irish jobs and European ones depend on our being able to sell goods and services. The Lisbon Treaty is Ireland upping its game.'
Brian Crowley
'I want people to support the Lisbon Treaty because it is a good Treaty for Ireland and a good Treaty for Europe. And to me the biggest change that will come above with the Lisbon Treaty is that it gives the Dáil the power to block legislation at a European level. That is not a power that it has at the moment, that is a power it can get. As well as co-ordinating and co-operating the areas of energy, economic development and other things like that making Europe operate more efficiently. The one thing that will always be there is representation for the people, through the European Parliament, and if Lisbon is passed, through the Dáil as well to stop European legislation that goes beyond what Europe should be doing.'
Proinsias De Rossa
'The Lisbon Treaty, with the referendum now will be held on 2 October, is one of the most important decisions the Irish electorate will be faced with for some time to come. The European Union as a whole cannot survive the current economic, social, financial and indeed climate crisis unless we have the tools to do the job and the Lisbon Treaty is very much a part of the reform that we need to put in place in order to do the work we need to do properly. It is important as well that we make our decision on the Lisbon Treaty based on facts, not based on rhetoric or on anger with the Government of the day; we are making a decision for the future of Ireland, not about the future of the Government.'
Pat the Cope Gallagher
'The ratification of the Lisbon Treaty will be a priority with me. The ratification of this Treaty, I believe, will be the first major step in the economic recovery.
Marian Harkin
'I have just had the privilege of being re-elected by the voters in the North West constituency to the European Parliament. And one of the reasons that I would ask the voters in that constituency to say Yes to Lisbon is because if we pass the Lisbon Treaty it gives more influence to the Parliament. You have just elected me as your representative. If we say Yes to Lisbon, then I have more influence, on your behalf, as a Member of the European Parliament. Approximately two thirds of all of the legislation has to be approved by the Parliament as of now, but if we say Yes to Lisbon that figure goes to 90-95% probably, and that is a conservative enough estimate. So that means that you, the voters, have greater influence because I am your representative, and I am accountable to you, and I think that is hugely important. Also, saying Yes to Lisbon gives greater clout to national parliaments. Because if half of national parliaments believe that a piece of legislation or law that the Commission have approved, if they believe that that is not necessary, that such a matter would be better dealt with at regional or national or local level they can stop it in its traps. Now, one parliament cannot do it, but as I said, if more than half of the national parliaments have that concern they can stop it. So in other words it is put in the bin before it is even discussed by the European Parliament. And that is something new and that is something really important. Despite what many people say, I believe that under Lisbon small countries still do very well. I talked about the Parliament a few minutes ago and about the greater influence it would have as your directly elected representatives. And under Lisbon every 350,000 Irish people will elect one MEP, every 750,000 English people will elect one MEP and every 850,000 Germans will elect one MEP. So we can see from that that under Lisbon small states do well. They are my three top reasons along with the fact that we have our commissioner, we have our guarantees on Lisbon that the Irish government have received in the last couple of weeks. And I think that putting all of that package together, those who have real concerns and there are many, many people who have very genuine concerns about Lisbon, will see that they have been addressed. And I also think what I have said about the national and the European Parliament should help to convince you on 2 October to vote Yes to Lisbon.'
Jim Higgins
'From the point of view of this Treaty, what is vitally important is that it will be explained in the clearest possible terms to people exactly what is in it. That we have an informed debate, that the Treaty is simplified and that people when they go to the polls on the 2 October know exactly what is in the Treaty and that they are ensured by the legal guarantees, which the Government has managed to extract from their partners in Europe. So I am confident that if we have a proper debate, if the government properly engages that it will pass. In the last occasion, the margin was very close, we had a situation that it was a 46% Yes vote and a 54% No vote. That is exactly the same margin that happened in relation to Nice I. So if we can get the debate going properly, the Government engages, other parties will engage, Fine Gael will engage, Labour will engage, and people like Marian Harkin will engage then I think we have every possibility that the Treaty does pass. Because it is absolutely crucial given the economic chaos in which our country finds itself that we are at the heart of Europe, not the periphery of Europe and we will stay at the periphery of Europe if Lisbon is not passed.'
Joe Higgins
'Lisbon is primarily in the interest of corporate Europe, incorporating the new liberal agenda, which stresses the privatisation of public enterprises and services which puts the rights of business to profit above the rights of workers. And also involves sharp escalation in militarisation and in the European armament's industry now none of this is in the interest of the vast majority of ordinary Europeans. But the Irish people is put under enormous pressure to vote for Lisbon and threatened with isolation if they turn it down for the second time. This is a lie, because in fact a big majority of the European people got no opportunity to vote, and very many would vote and oppose Lisbon had they the opportunity and the Irish people in rejecting Lisbon would be speaking for those people. The alternative to Lisbon is a Europe run by and for democratically working people rather than a Europe dominated by big business interests, by the armament's industry, by militarisation, all of which does not give us a more peaceful or more prosperous world.'
Alan Kelly
'By voting Yes we will ensure that Ireland remains at the centre of Europe and I believe that this is absolutely central for the future economic wellbeing of our country. This is essential, it is very important. Secondly, it will ensure that we have greater democracy, Irish TDs, parliamentarians, MEPs will have far more power and they will be able to make more decisions when it comes to the legislation, regulations that come from Europe and I think this is a very, very positive development. Thirdly, and very importantly, Ireland will maintain its Commissioner by voting Yes to Lisbon. That means that Ireland will be at the top table, be there with France, Italy, Spain and every other country. It will ensure that we have equal biding when it comes to Commissionerships, and that our Commissioner will be there to fight for us on all the issues that we feel is necessary. Lastly, and very importantly again, is that the Charter of Fundamental Rights, a very important document, will be interlined in both European and Irish law and amongst other things this will help to protect workers' rights, which I believe is absolutely essential. So please work with me and my colleagues to ensure that we vote Yes to Lisbon which will be good for Europe, will be good for Ireland, in my case, I believe will be good for the people of Munster and it will be good for you. Thank you.'
Seán Kelly
'People have questioned we should vote a second time on the Lisbon Treaty, well this is nothing new, we have voted for a second time in many other referendums as well, and if you take my own organisation the GAA we would never have got rule 42 passed if we had not voted a second time on it. So that is the logical thing to do and people have the opportunity to make up their minds and if they want to vote No again they can do so. Where I am concerned the Lisbon Treaty offers a much and better situation than we have had up until now it have provided new architectural for dealing with Europe, it offers more power to the European Parliament which is a very important aspect because we are the elected representatives. It offers more power to the national parliaments, more power to the people and it offers more power to smaller nations because four smaller nations can block any legislation. Also, the guarantees which were given are very important to the Irish people. The Irish people are very concerned that their independence will be lost in the areas of abortion, in the areas of taxation, in the areas of neutrality. The guarantees now all say that is not going to be the case. Finally I would like to come back to sport, sport was not really recognised in the previous treaties, under the Lisbon Treaty the European Union have a new competence for sport which opens up a whole new vista I think for sport in this country and in Europe and I would love to be a part of that, without getting Lisbon passed that cannot happen. So I am certainly all in favour of the Lisbon Treaty being passed, I think it is logical, it will do a lot of good, not just for Ireland but for Europe. Thank you.'
Mairead McGuinness
'I suppose what I really would like to see happen in the lead up to the vote on the second referendum on 2 October is that every single Irish voter would look very carefully and calmly at the issues. Remember we have had a series of legal guarantees given to us from issues around taxation, abortion, neutrality and I would ask you all to read those guarantees, they are short but they are clear, so do read the guarantees. And then to ask yourself a very simple question; where does your future lie as an Irish citizens as part of the European Union? Is it in the Union that is stronger and more united working better under the terms of the Lisbon Treaty? Or do you think you are better served by being part of the European Union that is weaker, more fragmented, that does not work as effectively under the old rules? The choice really is yours, it is your vote, I want you to use your vote on 2 October and I am urging you to vote Yes.'
Gay Mitchell
'By 2050 Europe will be 6% of the world's population, China will be very powerful, the United States will still be very powerful, India, Brazil will be powerful, Russia will be powerful. If we continue to rotate the presidency of the European Council, that is the Heads of States of Governments every six months we simply will not be able to play our role in the world nor do we need five different people speaking for Europe on foreign affairs, in Washington the Irish Ambassador speaks for Ireland on Ireland's interests, John Bruton speaks for Europe. That is what we have got to do on the European Union central level it makes the Parliament more powerful, the national governments more powerful, much more transparency and there is involvement for the people. It is time for Europe to get organised and for Ireland to be at the heart of Europe.'
