CELTIC LEAGUE: LEAGUE CONVENOR CALLS FOR APOLOGY FROM COWEN TO IRISH ELECTORATE

The initial reaction of Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen after the Irish No vote to the Lisbon Referendum seemed to be to respect the vote and have some reflection on the reasons for the result.

While he had hoped to avoid debate on the issue and go on holidays Opposition complaints led to the Irish Government conceding extra time to the Dáil (Irish Parliment) schedule to debate the results. In this debate his real attitude became clear. Instead of taking to heart the reasons for a NO vote and considering carefully how he should put the Irish NO vote case in Europe he, and his Minister Roche, choose instead to ( as in the run up to the vote) to castigate those who did not agree with the political establishment's attitude. They also attempted to smear them by alining their attitude in voting NO to that of right extremists in Europe.

Brian Cowen knows quite well why a majority of the Irish electorate voted know .He is well aware of an EU Commission Poll carried out in conjunction with the Taoiseach's office which found that 80% of No voters support Irish membership support the EU.

Three quarters of the NO voters believed the text could be renegotiated by the Irish Government!

NO voters said they wanted to protect Irish identity, to protect Irish Neutrality, to keep an Irish Commissioner and to protect the tax system. The Nice Treaty would remain in place.

A majority of women voted No and a majority of those between 18 and 30 ( 2 to 1, this was labelled as ' very serious', [imagine], in the report to EU Commission Supremo Barosso ). Many said they did not understand the Treaty.

Celtic League Convenor, Cathal Ó Luain, said that Brian Cowen's should go to Brussels and do what he knows the Irish electorate want him to do and apologise to them for his slurs on them.

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

19/06/08