Written by Foras Teamhrach
The Irish Times states that Europe’s new fiscal treaty was specifically crafted to minimise the prospect of a referendum in Ireland, a high-level European official said elements of the pact were written with the objective of avoiding a public vote in Ireland. The official acknowledged to the Times that the matter was likely to [...]
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Written by Foras Teamhrach
“Brian Cowen has carried through his third major betrayal of the Irish people, far more damaging than either of the previous assaults on our sovereignty and Constitution. The first was his immediate rejection of the country’s constitutional decision not to vote for the Lisbon Treaty in 2008. His second was the comprehensive dishonesty with which [...]
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Written by Foras Teamhrach
The relevant article is article 6, it is also to be noted that this was a new amendment, and was not a feature of the 2007 bill. Insertion of new Articles 29.4.4 – 29.4.9: “No provision of this Constitution invalidates laws enacted, acts done or measures adopted by the State, before, on or after the [...]
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Written by Foras Teamhrach
The Socialist Party of Ireland recently published an article by Stephen Boyd on their website about the proposed “Bord Snip” cuts. The article identified the central lie behind Government and media claims about public spending in Ireland. What follows are two selected quotes from the article, there is a link at the bottom of the [...]
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Written by Foras Teamhrach
The Lisbon Treaty makes increased privatisation in health, education and other public services more likely, Socialist Party MEP Joe Higgins stated. Mr. Higgins said the treaty removed the absolute veto over the discussion of essential public services at world trade talks, and replaced it with a qualified one. As a result, decision-making powers over health [...]
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Written by Foras Teamhrach
Taoiseach Brian Cowen and the Green Party leader John Gormley are holding discussions today on the major details of the new programme for government. However, while background documents have been discussed by Fianna Fáil and the Greens, the exchange of major documents is now not expected to take place until Thursday or Friday. “There has [...]
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Written by Foras Teamhrach
What will the Lisbon Treaty really mean for Ireland? These are the Key Points: 1. Loss of Sovereignty The Treaty provides for the appointment of a permanent EU president, elected by European leaders. It also creates an EU foreign minister, termed the “High Representative”. This official will have the power to create foreign policy without [...]
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Written by Foras Teamhrach
In 2008, during the Irish Law Society’s annual conference in Budapest, former Minister for Justice (now Finance), Brian Lenihan stated that the government’s view was that Ireland’s future would be best served by a reformed Europe in which Ireland was a fully committed member. He spoke of the treaty in “quasi-religious terms”: the plebiscite on [...]
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Written by Foras Teamhrach
Ireland is facing “three immense and immediate challenges”, the Taoiseach Brian Cowen has told participants in the Global Economic Forum at Farmleigh, in Dublin, last week. Mr Cowen said “defining choices” would soon be made on the Lisbon Treaty referendum, the National Asset Management Agency and the Budget. “The referendum on the Lisbon treaty, the [...]
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Written by Foras Teamhrach
The Chief Executive of Ryanair, Michael O’Leary has outlined why he thinks Ireland should vote Yes to Lisbon in “an expletive-laden rant” on YouTube. (Irish Times): “Lisbon Watch » O’Leary labels No groups ‘unemployable headbangers’”. In his “five-minute tirade,” O’Leary describes those on the No side as “unemployable f****ing headbangers”, and claims if it weren’t [...]
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