The leaders of the Fine Gael and Labour parties and the Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith, visited the Ploughing Championships today to call for a Yes vote in the Lisbon treaty.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said he expected that the Lisbon referendum would be carried next week.
“If the Irish people decide to do otherwise, we are not going to be thrown out of the European Union but we will move ourselves by our own hand to a back room where we are distanced from the decisive decision-making process that is taking place and that is critical for this country’s future,” he said.
“So it’s an opportunity and a realisation for the Irish people that we can determine our own future here.”
Mr Kenny said it was “perfectly obvious” that farmers were going through a very difficult time but a positive vote in the Lisbon referendum would ensure that Ireland would continue to play an integral part in Europe.
“Our connections and this country’s connections with Europe will be immeasurably strengthened by a strong vote in the Lisbon referendum and I welcome the decision of the farming organisations to advise and encourage their members to vote Yes on the 2nd of October,” he said.
“Farmers, I believe, recognise the potential that exists for us to renegotiate and protect the element of the CAP that is currently available to us in the next round of reform that will take place.”
Mr Kenny said the campaign was above party politics. “We’ve put aside our difficulties with Government on the basis that this is about Ireland and about Ireland’s future. The people will have their say and the people will have their day about this Government very shortly.”
Earlier today, Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith spent several hours walking around the site and he also urged farmers to vote Yes. He said Ireland’s best interests and those of Irish agriculture were “unquestionably best served” by being at the heart of Europe.
“The benefits of goodwill and good-standing cannot be underestimated and both will be significantly strengthened by a strong endorsement of the Lisbon Treaty,” Mr Smith said.
“The Irish Government needs to negotiate issues of concern to Irish agricultural interests from a position of strength and not from a position of weakness. On the back of a Yes vote on 2nd October, we will be in a much stronger position to constructively deal with issues such as the future of the CAP for the period 2013-2021.”
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore told farmers they should not take out their anger about the Government on the treaty. “The European Union is our biggest export market. For every packet of Kerrygold sold in Irish shops, there are seven sold in the shops throughout the rest of the European Union,” he said.
It was very important that there was not a perception abroad that Ireland had become “semi-detached” from Europe. “People out there who are making investment decisions...will look at the decision and will perceive that Ireland is pulling back from Europe and I believe that that is bad for us,” Mr Gilmore said.
He also pointed out that the Irish Government would require the goodwill of other European states when decisions were being made. That goodwill might not be forthcoming if Ireland was perceived as having pulled back from Europe.
The “Farmers for No” group led by Longford farmer James Reynolds handed out leaflets urging farmers to “Beware of the bull — check out the treaty”.
