Gilmore welcomes outcome of Lisbon referendum: priority now to get govt out

Issued : Saturday 3 October, 2009

While the official result is not yet available, it is quite clear that the constitutional amendment to allow ratification of the Lisbon Reform Treaty will be carried, and carried by a decisive majority. I want to welcome the outcome of the referendum.

This is an important development that will enable Europe to function more efficiently and democratically; improve the rights of citizens, workers and consumers through the Charter of Fundamental Rights; and help restore international confidence in Ireland so that jobs and businesses can be secured here.

Labour campaigned so strongly for a yes vote because we believed that ratification was in the national interest. The national interest now requires that this Fianna Fail government is removed from office as quickly as possible.

During the course of this campaign we found that the biggest single obstacle to securing a yes vote was public fury at the Fianna Fail government that has brought this country to the brink of economic ruin.

The people want Fianna Fail out. No government can function with any credibility or authority when it enjoys so little support among the majority of voters. This is a government that is out of touch and out of time. What the country now urgently needs is a change of government, with a new mandate, a change of personnel and fresh ideas.

Over the coming months Labour will be putting all our energies into securing the change of government we so badly need and the people so badly want.

I want to thank all the members of the Labour Party who worked so hard to achieve a yes vote and to particularly thank our three MEPs who spearheaded the Labour campaign and our Lisbon Campaign Director, Joe Costello, who worked so tirelessly to achieve this result.

We also have to look again at the lessons of this campaign and previous referendums on European issues. It is clear that there is significant level of distrust of the EU and its institutions which may, to some extent, be based on misunderstanding of what the EU is about. We need to work to reconnect the EU to people and to demonstrate to the public how it has a positive impact on their lives and how it can help to deal with major problems.