Forum On Europe Meeting Galway 12th of May

[Bobert]

It is now over, I have a long drive, I hope you enjoy yourselves.

[Helium Three]

Safe journey. Thanks for the report.

[kerrynorth]

Cheers Bobert. Safe home. When you get a chance could post on the mood of the crowd as it seems to be a large sample. Did Yes or No people in the audience get the most support with their questioning etc?

[brio910]

Many thanks Bobert, really enjoyed it.
Next best thing to being there.
Safe home and God bless.

[The Red Rose of Cork]

superb reporting, well done

[Bobert]

Thank you. I thought the mood was very much No orientated, I'm not sure if I mentioned it but one woman said that it was Sean's scaremongering that would lead her to vote no. Both candidates did bvery well. I do honestly think the Sean is a powerful speaker but Declan did clearly win.

[lostexpectation]

he fell through an open door you mean

[Bobert]

Do elaborate.

[Bobert]

The Forum's account:

http://www.forumoneurope.ie/index.asp?l ... docID=1667

Talking Treaty in Galway

The Treaty of Lisbon was the focus of robust debate at a public meeting in the Hotel Meyrick in Galway this evening organised by the National Forum On Europe, which opened with Fianna Fáil MEP, Seán Ó Neachtain calling for a Yes vote in the forthcoming referendum and Libertas Chairman, Declan Ganley, advocating rejection of the Treaty. The Galway meeting was part of the Forum's nationwide tour, in the run-up to the referendum on June 12th.

Opening the debate, Mr Ganley claimed that the veto on tax issues which is retained under the Treaty was "as useful as a chocolate teapot", arguing that reference in the Treaty to "distortion of competition" would lead to "backdoor attacks" on the Irish tax regime which, in turn, would threaten foreign direct investment.

However, Mr Ó Neachtain, said that taxation remained within the remit of Member States.

"Any change to that would have to be with the unanimous agreement of all the member governments", he said, stressing that foreign investment would not be at risk. "Do you think that 90 percent of the business community and Fianna Fail, Labour and most of the Green Party, who support the Treaty, would lead us up the garden path?"

The North West MEP also argued that the Lisbon Treaty would bring more democracy to the European Union than any previous treaty. He said it gave national parliaments more power to influence legislation and to the European Parliament to approve or reject laws. "I am fifteen years a member of the European Union institutions - first with the Committee of the Regions and, for the last seven years, as Member of the European Parliament", he said. "I can vouch for the Lisbon Treaty being a good deal".

For his part, the Libertas leader told the meeting, which was attended by a hundred and twenty people, that Irish influence would be dramatically reduced because of changes in the voting system and the reduction in the size of the Commission. "You'll also have a President and a Foreign Minister of Europe who'll represent you on the world stage who doesn't need your vote", said Mr Ganley, who added that democracy was under attack in the Treaty.

Urging people to reject the Treaty, Mr Ganley said that a No vote would mandate the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, "to go back to Brussels and negotiate a better deal for Ireland."

However, Mr Ó Neachtain said it had taken twenty seven sovereign countries nearly a decade to negotiate the Treaty which all the Member States believed would make the Union more efficient and effective. "I think we'd get a worse deal."

[Bobert]

http://forumoneuropepodcast.org/index.php?id=68

The recording of this meeting.

Worth listening to to hear a man yelling at Maurice Hayes.