Britannia Radio

The sting in this is in the tail! The NO campaigners are reacting
to being bullied and traduced by the anti-democrats in Brussels.

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IRISH TIMES 25.9.08
Government agrees Fine Gael will head inquiry into Lisbon result
MARK HENNESSY and DEAGLÁN de BRÉADÚN

FINE GAEL will head an Oireachtas [parliament] inquiry into the
Lisbon Treaty referendum result, following an agreement with the Government.

Under the plan, a subcommittee of the Oireachtas Committee on
European Affairs will investigate the reasons for the No vote and
report within eight weeks.

The membership of the full committee is to be increased to ensure
that Sinn Féin has one representative and one of the Independents are
also included.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Michéal Martin initially had wanted a
new, separate Oireachtas committee to be formed for the task, but
Fine Gael rejected this.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday morning said the terms of the
reference for the subcommittee would be published today, but last
night this was delayed until next week.

The Lisbon committee will be headed by a Fine Gael TD, though the
party's leader, Enda Kenny, has yet to make a decision on who will
lead it. The existing Fine Gael members of the full committee are
Wicklow TD Billy Timmins, Kildare North's Bernard Durkan, Dublin
South East's Lucinda Creighton, Clare TD Pat Breen and Senator Pascal
Donohoe.

The eight-week deadline for the subcommittee is regarded as tight by
some of those likely to be involved, though it will not offer
suggestions for the Government's next step.

Meanwhile, elected representatives at local, national and European
level are being asked to sign a "covenant" to oppose a second
referendum on the Lisbon Treaty and any attempt at ratification
through the Oireachtas.

Launching the initiative on behalf of the People's Movement, a
coalition of activists who campaigned against the treaty, former
Green MEP for Dublin Patricia McKenna said: "This is part of our
ongoing campaign to defend the democratic decision of the Irish
people made on June 12th."

Under the title, A Covenant between Irish Public Representatives and
the People of Ireland, the document, also available in Irish as An
Cúnant, is published as a parchment-style document with a harp design.

The text declares that the signatory believes the Lisbon result
"expressed the democratic will of the people of this State and must
be fully respected" and recognises that the treaty "must be ratified
by all member states before it can come into force". The document
continues: "I therefore reject calls from whatever source to have a
further referendum on the treaty or to ratify it by any other means."

Candidates in next June's local and European elections are also being
asked to sign the document.

Ms McKenna told a news conference in Dublin yesterday: "It is clear
that both here and abroad there is an ongoing attempt to overthrow
the decision of the Irish people and it's essential that those
elected to serve the people of this country respect the will of the
people of this country."