Campaigners against the Nice Treaty have been criticised by the leader of the Labour Party, Mr Ruairí Quinn, for urging voters to use next month's referendum as an opportunity to punish the Government.
In particular, Mr Quinn, speaking at the Tom Johnson Summer School in Fethard-on- Sea, Co Wexford, on Saturday, singled out Independent Tipperary South TD, Mr Seamus Healy.
"It is particularly disappointing to hear a left-wing TD arguing that the democratic aspirations of the people of the applicant states should be disregarded to allow the Irish people deal a bloody nose to Bertie Ahern," said Mr Quinn.
"Bertie Ahern needs a bloody nose certainly, but let's make sure that he gets it when he and his Fianna Fáil colleagues seek support for themselves. Whatever faults they have, the applicant states are not responsible for our Taoiseach's duplicity."
Urging voters to postpone their revenge, Mr Quinn said: "We will have the local and European elections in June 2004, which will provide the opportunity for the public to pass judgement on Fianna Fáil and the PDs."
He said he found left-wing opposition to the treaty in Ireland to be "unfathomable".
"If solidarity is the cornerstone of left-wing values, I cannot understand why those who describe themselves as being on the left wish to delay the enlargement of the EU.
"It is true that enlargement can be cobbled together in different circumstances but it would hardly constitute a gesture of solidarity. This is a moral question that requires a generous response from the State that has benefited most from the EU."
Neutrality would now be given constitutional protection if voters accept the treaty. "The irony now is that the professed champions of neutrality, the Greens and Sinn Féin, are opposing its insertion into the Constitution."
However, Mr Healy was unrepentant yesterday, claiming that his decision "to place spending cuts at the centre of the campaign against Nice" had been vindicated by the publication yesterday of a Department of Finance memorandum.
"The referendum represents the last opportunity to vote against the cuts before they are made. It has also been confirmed that the EU Stability and Growth Pact is a major factor in the cuts," said Mr Healy.
Meanwhile, the PD Minister of State Mr Tom Parlon has criticised the No to Nice Campaign for using posters depicting a young man with a gun to his head.
Describing the posters as "extremely irresponsible", Mr Parlon demanded their immediate withdrawal. "The imagery is highly inappropriate and offensive and particularly distressing for families who have suffered at the hands of paramilitary violence and also those who had to deal with the tragedy of suicide.
"The No campaign has gone beyond the bounds of decency with this disgraceful and misguided image," said Mr Parlon, who is the PD director of elections for the campaign.
"It is both irresponsible and foolish to choose such a threatening image as a loaded weapon pressed against a man's head in a bid to convey a completely unrelated message.
"Both the Yes and No sides expect a tough campaign up to October 19th, but we must adhere to standards of decency and good taste. We should be able to make our point without resorting to tasteless extremes."
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dick Roche, said a Yes vote would "open up unprecedented economic opportunity" for Irish businesses to export into central and eastern Europe.
"We trade to survive. Over a six-year period, our exports with those countries have already increased seven-fold to €1,187 million. A Yes vote will allow our firms to move into Europe on a massive scale."
He added: "In spite of the exaggerated claims of the No campaign, we have nothing to fear from enlargement and a huge amount to gain.
"As we move forward into a new Europe, all Irish people will gain economically, socially and culturally," Mr Roche told business leaders from the Republic and the North.
Fine Gael TD Mr Denis Naughten told the Irish Road Haulage Association that Irish exports could "easily increase" to over €20 billion, thus protecting thousands of jobs.
A No vote would threaten employment. Multinationals were already reviewing their overseas operations and were carefully watching the October 19th referendum.
Mr Naughten said he feared that hauliers would use the referendum "to teach the Government a lesson" because of recent rises in insurance costs.
"While I fully accept that this Government has buried its head in the sand on this issue, this is not the time to take revenge. Nice is too important - too important for the future of the haulage industry and those who make a living from it," he said.
