Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said the issue of his leadership will not arise during the course of the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
Speaking at the launch of the Fianna Fáil campaign in Dublin this morning, Mr Cowen - when asked would he personally resign if the referendum were lost - said he did not contemplate defeat.
¿This is not about the future of the Government of personalities. It¿s about the future of the country,¿ said Mr Cowen. ¿It¿s not politics as usual. We need to focus on the importance of Lisbon at this time. We need to decide what is in our interest as a people, what is the message we want to send [to others in the European Union].¿
Mr Cowen and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin were the principal speakers at the launch, which was attended by all Fianna Fáil ministers, as well as junior ministers and a small number of TDs and Senators. The slogans for the campaign are "Ireland Needs Europe" and "We¿re Stronger with Europe".
During the course of this speech, Mr Cowen argued that Europe had listened to the Irish people following last year¿s rejection of the Treaty. He said that Ireland now had a guaranteed commissioner, and had obtained guarantees on all the issues that came to the fore last year, including military neutrality, taxation, abortion, workers¿ rights and social protection.
¿The new legal guarantees which the Irish people have received are both comprehensive and legally watertight in addressing these issues,¿ he said.
The Taoiseach also focused on the wider economic implications, saying that the single market has been responsible for the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs in this country.
He also said that in the present economic crisis, Ireland¿s need to be at the heart of Europe was more important than ever.
¿The simple fact is that a rejection of this Treaty are receiving comprehensive assurances to our concerns would be seen by many as Ireland moving away from the core of the EU. There is no conceivable economic benefit which would come from this and there is undeniable potential for long-term damage,¿ he said.
Asked about if the unpopularity of Government signalled by opinion polls and ¿anger¿ over the National Assets Management Agency and its performance, he said that he had a great belief in the discernment of voters to distinguish between issues.
Mr Martin said the party would actively campaign for a Yes vote. He added that it will put up 22,000 posters this week and also publish a national leaflet. The party has also set up a dedicated Lisbon website at www.strongerwitheurope.ie
¿We understand that the public is interest in a campaign about the real issues and this is what we intend to provide. We will respond when wild and false attacks are made against the EU and the Treaty,¿ said Mr Martin.
