Minister of State for European Affairs Dick Roche sharply criticised opponents of the Lisbon Treat yesterday. Deaglán de Bréadún, Political Correspondent, reports.
He categorised them as "Eurosceptics", some of whom had "shadowy backgrounds", whereas others came from the extremes of the left or the right.
Addressing the Government of Ireland Scholars Conference in Newman House, Dublin, he said the collective decision that the people of Ireland would make on referendum day would have an impact far beyond our shores.
"We must ask ourselves as we face into a referendum, whether we should listen to those who have been elected by the people of Europe to speak on their behalf, to people with a track record, to leaders who have made a positive contribution, or should we listen to Eurosceptics, some from very shadowy backgrounds, some from the extremes of the left or the right in European politics, few who have been elected and fewer still who have made any positive contribution to the sum total of human welfare."
Calling on voters to ignore "the naysayers, who have been wrong for 35 years", Mr Roche continued: "Parking Ireland in some backward-looking Eurosceptic cul-de-sac designed by the likes of Monsieur Le Pen or those on the extreme of the left has nothing to commend it to the Irish people."
The Government of Ireland Scholars Conference brings together individuals who have studied at University College Dublin under the auspices of the Department of Foreign Affairs special programme of assistance to EU candidate countries and new member states.
In his address, Mr Roche recalled the original campaign in 1972 for a No vote on membership of the European Economic Community: "Had we surrendered to those doubts, would Ireland be the progressive nation it is today? I doubt so.
"Had the Single European Act that created the single market and which has given Irish businesses unrivalled opportunities, had that been rejected, where would Irish business be today?
"Similarly, the story of our economic success in recent years cannot be told without reference to the Maastricht Treaty. Had we listened to the prophets of doom and voted No, where would we be in that regard today?
"And so it is with Amsterdam and with Nice, the treaty that turned the key that opened the door that allowed 12 new member states to join the union, people in many cases who had lived under the oppression of communism for half-a-century, where would we be today?
"The reality of it is, every time we have said Yes, we have gained.
"Every time we have said Yes, we have taken a step forward," Mr Roche said.
Meanwhile, European Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger said during a visit to Dublin yesterday that the consequences of rejecting the Lisbon Treaty would be felt primarily on the political side.
In strict legal terms, the European Union would continue to work under the present dispensation, "with all its shortcomings". But there would be immediate consequences in political terms.
"This is the point in history where globalisation is reshaping the world, and what's the message we are giving to the rest of the world?
"Europe as a strong, united projection of all its 27 different member states united in their diversity?
"Or do we project the impression that we are not that united, we are not really getting our act that well together?
"We see that, on very many issues, things are moving forward if Europe acts together. Take Bali, take climate change, the UN process very clearly has got momentum thanks to the joint action by the Europeans," Mr Laitenberger said.