Voters should save anger with Govt until general election

The Fianna Fáil-Green Government’s unpopularity is the greatest threat to the Lisbon Treaty.

The Cork South Central TD urged voters to back the Lisbon Treaty on Friday and to save their anger with Brian Cowen’s incompetent administration for the general election.

The justifiable public anger with this incompetent Government is poisoning voters against the Lisbon Treaty. We face a real danger that people angry with the Government over their handling of the economic crisis, their introduction of the NAMA bailout and their defence of the shocking golden handshake to Rody Molloy will use the Lisbon Referendum to register their protest.

From NAMA to FÁS, the Government has shown it is not willing to listen to the people. Some voters believe a No vote in the Lisbon Referendum is a way to make Brian Cowen, Mary Coughlan & John Gormley listen.

They are wrong. The Lisbon Referendum is too important for our future to be used as a political protest. A Yes vote is crucial for job creation, for economic recovery and for Ireland’s future.

Anger at Brian Cowen and his Government must not blind us to what is in the long-term interest of the country.

The next general election will give people an opportunity to pass judgment on what may be the worst Government in the history of the State. But on Friday we need to put our anger at this Government aside and vote Yes on the Lisbon Treaty and our future in Europe.