A leading opponent of the Lisbon Treaty is to take legal advice on whether the Government is misusing public funds to support the 'yes' side in the forthcoming referendum.
Patricia McKenna, chairperson of the People's Movement, which is opposing the treaty, told RTÉ News she believes the Government is showing 'complete contempt' for decisions by the Supreme Court on this issue.
In 1995, when she was a Green Party MEP, Ms McKenna won a Supreme Court case which banned the use of State funds to promote one side in a referendum campaign.
AdvertisementBut this afternoon, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said the Government's 'strong' legal advice from the Attorney General was that the McKenna judgment did not apply until referendum legislation had been passed by the Dáil and Seanad, and signed into law by the President.
Minister Ahern acknowledged that some organisations took a more conservative view, but that was the legal advice the Government was operating under.
Gosimeon From Sweden, joined Jan 2008, 655 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (5 years 2 months 3 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 1086 times:
Ireland is the only country that has to hold a referendum on this, as per our constitution. All other countries governments have already agreed to it, only Ireland will be voting. Therefore, our decision is very important.
Overall, I like the proposals and think the no side has a very weak argument. Fear scaremongering mostly.
Pyrex From Portugal, joined Aug 2005, 3537 posts, RR: 28 Reply 3, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 1022 times:
The only thing good about the Lisbon treaty is the city it was signed in... I certainly hope my hometown does not get permanently associated with this betrayal of the citizens of Europe.
Quoting OA260 (Reply 2): Why didn't Spain/Portugal etc.... have referendums???
Because our politicians are afraid of their own people. You see, politicians, as a rule, absolutely hate any type of referendum, as they feel it interferes with their God-given right to do whatever they want with the vote that was given to them. Any politician, in any country, will only hold a referendum if he absolutely has to, and in the case of Portugal they basically changed the meaning of a promess the Prime Minister had made during his campaign.
Read this very carefully, I shall write this only once!
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