The Lisbon Treaty: The OSF View

This is an interview with Marcas O' Mhaoldomhnaigh, Ógra Shinn Féin National PRO.

Can you sum up, in 30 words or less, why OSF are opposed to the Lisbon Treaty?

Ógra Shinn Féin are opposed to the Lisbon Treaty because if passed it would result in a

further militarized EU where smaller states have less say. While further undermining workers rights it

also contains a Revision Procedure which would allow heads of state remove vetoes in particular areas in the future.

We've all seen the Sinn Fein posters about increased militarisation in the EU if the Treaty is passed.

Explain briefly how the Treaty will enshrine militarisation if it is passed.

If passed the Lisbon Treaty would require member states to increase their military capacities.

The treaty also states that in the event of "armed aggression" being directed at a member state then all

other members states are required to intervene or provide assistance (Art.188R). This undermines Irish neutrality.

However this is not all, the Treaty also talks about "assisting third countries in combating terrorism in their territories".(Art.28)

This part is particularly disturbing as it could justify the use of troops in places like Afghanistan.

Would OSF be in favour of a new Treaty? If so, what would OSF like to see in a new treaty?

ÓSF are pro-Europe and if a new treaty which protected Workers Rights, Irish neutrality and many of the other issues we have highlighted

were to be put forward then I believe we would support it. (Please note I can't say for definite we would as it would have to be put before the SF Ard Comhairle,

however assuming everything we had outlined was protected etc. then I would see no reason why we would oppose it).

A group called Generation Yes has been targeting young people out and telling them to vote Yes. Does the Treaty have anything in it that may specifically concern Youth voters?

First off I would like to say something about Generation Yes. This group has consistently criticized opposition groups by stating that we have not been dealing with the text of the treaty ( http://www.generationyes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/sfblinkers ) while saying that they have. This is untrue, SF and many of the other groups have consistently dealt with the text of the treaty while groups like GY have resorted to laughable scaremongering such as saying that "Some people think Ireland will have to leave the EU, others think there isn’t a legal way to do this. No one knows for certain what will happen if we vote ‘no’." ( http://www.generationyes.ie/lisbon-treaty-guide/ ). Well perhaps if GY knew anything about how the EU works they would realize that no country can be marginalised under the current EU, nor can we leave unless we actually vote to remove ourselves from the EU. However if the LT is passed then, in the future, a situation where countries may be forced out could arise.

I would also question the alleged "independence" of a group whos first meeting was held at IBEC headquarters in Dublin.

Does the Treaty have anything in it that may specifically concern Youth voters? Why should Youth voters vote No?

The EU certainly concerns youth voters. It is about the future direction of the European Union.

If young people want to see Europe where workers rights are protected, where Irish neutrality is not undermined and where we have a

strong voice in Europe they should vote no. The government had a strong mandate to go back to Europe and demand a renegotiated treaty.

They failed the Irish people in this regard and are forcing them to vote again on the same treaty. Young people should vote no, to allow a better treaty to be negotiated which does not give more power to larger states or facilitate a "race to the bottom" in terms of

publuic services.

For a more democratic and de-militarised Europe, people should vote No.


Many thanks to Marcas O' Mhaoldomhnaigh for his time and patience.

Tabula Rasa for Sinn Féin?

Today I will be watching the Sinn Féin “activist meeting” in Navan with much interest (see here).

Sinn Féin at the moment is in turmoil, left reeling after the local elections and European elections didn’t go to plan.

People will sneer and make jibes towards Sinn Féin, but I have always found that at a local level, Sinn Féin councillors and TDs do work considerably harder than some of their counterparts.

The potential is there for Sinn Féin to grow, although there seems to be a division between the more socialist- and republican- leaning elements in the party.

Sinn Féin has been left without a genuine leader in much of the South. After Mary Lou McDonald lost her MEP seat, senior party members like Aengus O’Snodaigh has failed to fill Mary Lou’s place in the Dublin publics’ eye.

Grassroots-level Sinn Féiners like Christy Burke and former Wexford councillor John Dwyer have expressed discontent with the upper echelons of Sinn Féin, and this schism needs to be addressed if Sinn Féin is to progress.

Another topic up for discussion is the party position on Lisbon II. While I don’t think the “No” position is in doubt, it will still be interesting to see what the debate throws up

Victory for Byrne, Collins, Upton and McGinley in Crumlin-Kimmage

Councillor Eric Byrne of the Labour party has come in at number one in the Crumlin-Kimmage ward of Dublin City Council. Mr Byrne and fellow Labour candidate Henry Upton emerged with 39.7% of the first preference vote in Crumlin-Kimmage.

People Before Profit candidate Joan Collins (formerly Independent) came in with the second highest first preference vote, elected with 17.4%- compare this to her taking of 4.6% of the first preference in the 2007 general election. The supporters of Ms Collins broke into song (singing “the people, united, will never be divided”) as she was elected at around 8pm today.

The final seat was hotly contested between Ruairi McGinley (Fine Gael), Ray McHugh (Sinn Fein) and Charlie Ardagh (Fianna Fail). McGinley had 13.1% of the first preference vote, McHugh had 8.7% and Ardagh had 13.2%. After Ray McHugh was eliminated, only 6 votes separated McGinley and Ardagh at one stage; however the Fine Gael candidate eventually won out in the end.

Of the other candidates running in the consituency; Tony McDermott of the Green Party had 6.9% of the first preference (McDermott got 5.8% of the first preference in General Election 2007), and Ray Kelly of the Christian Solidarity Party got 1%.

"Is your Mam in son?"

A few days ago, a representative for a Sinn Féin candidate for the local elections in my area knocked on my door. As I answered the door, I prepared for the usual “I’ll make your voice heard” shtick which I should’ve heard. When the man saw me, he smiled and asked “Is your Mam in son?” I replied that I am a registered voter, and have been since last summer, to which the man replied “Oh right” and proceeded to simply utter “you wouldn’t consider giving [the Sinn Féin candidate] one of your preferences next week, would you?”

This is not the first time this has happened. Consistently Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and other parties have sent people to my door whose first words are “Is your Mam/Dad in?”

Yet for a party whose support is higher in the 18-25 age bracket than any other age group (according to the Irish Times/TNSmrbi poll published on Friday), the disregard that Sinn Féin showed me set me aback a bit. I am a year shy of my twentieth birthday, and by all acounts I do not look under eighteen. The Sinn Féin canvasser assumed that I was younger than eighteen. Would it not be more helpful for a seemingly progressive, “trendy” party to assume that a young person is of legal voting age until told otherwise? Isolating young people in such a manner only exacerbates the perceived apathy towards politics among people my age .

Sinn Féin and the other established political parties should recognise the considerable support the 18-25 year olds give the party by adopting a positive approach to young voters.