Libertas.org

Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche has conceded the Libertas position on Article 48 of the Lisbon Treaty, Executive Director Naoise Nunn said this afternoon.

He was responding to the latest attack on Libertas by Minister Roche, in which the Minister made the following claim:

"Libertas claim: Europe can easily change this treaty into the future.

This claim is false. Article 48 provides that any proposed Treaty changes must be ratified in accordance with the constitutional requirements of each Member State of the EU. In our case, the Irish Government will seek the advice of the Attorney General, as is currently the situation, in order to determine if a referendum is required. "

Responding, Mr. Nunn said:

"We did not say that Brussels could "easily" change this Treaty, we said that they could. We also said that it would not necessarily require a referendum. Dick Roche agrees.

How are we making a false claim? Can somebody please ask Dick Roche? This statement of his is not just false, it is an absolute, categorical, total, and shameless lie.

He follows the same shameless pattern throughout his latest missive. Dick Roche attacks us repeatedly for what he wishes we had said, and not for what we actually said.

His continued insistence that Ireland's vote is not weakened is cynical and dishonest.

He continues not only to mislead people about the effect of our tax veto, but he refuses to acknowledge what we've actually said about it.

He reads half of the charter of fundamental rights, and neglects to tell people what those rights mean, or refer the public to the explanations of them.

He has absolutely, and completely, abandoned all sense of honesty, or of propriety. His attacks get more and more desperate by the day."