The fiscal treaty was essentially about providing stability for the euro, and the electorate understood the importance of this, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said this morning.
Speaking at the unveiling of Labour's campaign poster with the slogan, "It's about stability - vote Yes", he denied the Government would be using “scare tactics” in the campaign.
“This campaign will be run positively. We are making the case very clearly. If you look at the record of this campaign to date, those of us who are arguing for a Yes vote have not said anything that is inaccurate,” he said.
Mr Gilmore contrasted this with the approach of Sinn Féin who, he said, had produced a leaflet quoting three economists against the treaty who were actually supporting it.
Asked if the Yes campaign was damaged by the Sunday Times report that Ireland could still seek funds from the International Monetary Fund if the Treaty was rejected, he said: “No I don’t think so: you can apply to the bank for a loan, but the bank doesn’t have to give you a loan, and you don’t necessarily know the terms of it.
“The reality here is very clearly that we will not have access to the European Stability Mechanism, which is the major fund that is established to support the euro, if the treaty is rejected.
“We hope we won’t have to have access to it, but if we need it, we won’t have access to it. People saying there are other funds or whatever - there may be other funds, but at what size and on what conditions? And will those funds make money available anyway?” Mr Gilmore said.
Asked if he was concerned issues like the household charge and water charge could affect people’s voting choices, he said: “I think people will be able to make a distinction between what they feel about issues of one kind or another, and the stability of the euro.
“This treaty is about the euro, and it’s about stability for the euro. Everybody knows themselves individually how important it is that there is a secure euro, that it is stable. People also understand the importance of it for investment in jobs.”
Asked about the declared intention of his Socialist colleague in France, François Hollande, to renegotiate the treaty if elected president, Mr Gilmore said: “What he’s talking about is having a jobs and growth agenda for Europe which is something that the Irish Government has already been talking about.”
“We would very much be in the same place as François Hollande.”
