The Minister for Foreign Affairs has this evening warned that another No vote on the Lisbon Treaty would damage Ireland's international standing among foreign investors.
Speaking at the MacGill Summer School this evening, Micheál Martin said that at at time of "unprecedented economic challenge,"voters are entitled to consider whether they will find prosperity at the edge of, or at the heart of, Europe".
"We need to keep this big picture in mind as we weigh up the merits of the Lisbon Treaty ahead of our referendum on the 2nd of October," the Minister said.
"Those who say that we can reject Lisbon and leave our standing within the union and our international reputation unaffected are seriously mistaken.
"I strongly believe that ratification is one of the keys to Ireland’s future advancement. A resounding Yes vote would send a strong political message to foreign investors that we are fully committed to the EU. This is the clear, positive message that I hope the people will decide to send on 2nd October," the Minister told the summer school.
"It is clear that Ireland exerts more influence as part of a united EU than would ever be possible for a small country acting alone. It is difficult to reconcile these realities with an impression conveyed in some quarters that the European Union is “bureaucratic,” “inefficient” or “distant.”
Mr Martin said membership of the European Union has made Ireland a "magnet" for foreign direct investment.
Pointing to companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and Google, he said: "These companies did not come here because they like our climate, but because we are seen as a country that is fully plugged into the European Union. It would be unwise to give them any reason to think otherwise.
"It is in our self interest that that we send an emphatic message that will serve to eliminate the doubts that linger in the boardrooms of the multinational corporations that have underpinned our economic development.
"That message needs to be clear and unambiguous: Ireland intends to remain a committed member of the European Union and will do what is necessary to remain the most attractive base from which to do business in the EU," Mr Martin said.
"It is the self interest of each and every one of us to do whatever we can to keep jobs in Ireland.
"When we go to the polls on 2nd of October we need to consider what signal we are sending to the people in places like Mountain View and Cupertino in California, to companies who have put their trust in Irish workers and Irish know-how," he said.
