The Workers’ Party have called on Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore to clarify for once and for all the Labour Party’s position in relation to the future of the Lisbon Treaty.

Workers’ Party spokesman Padraig Mannion, who was the party’s campaign director during the referendum, said that there was need for clarification from Labour since the utterances of its leader Mr. Gilmore and those of Dublin MEP Proinsias De Rossa are entirely contradictory of one another.

Mr. Mannion was responding to comments made by Mr. De Rossa on Raidio na Gaeltachta’s news programme Admhaidin this morning (Tuesday) in which the Labour MEP, in announcing his intention to seek a further term in the European Parliament, said that if the Irish government cannot pass the Lisbon Treaty that we should stand aside as a country and let the rest of Europe move ahead.

“Eamon Gilmore has on a number of occasions called for the democratic outcome of the Irish referendum to be respected.  Shortly after the referendum he said that that any attempt to ignore the results of the Irish poll or in some manner to attempt to sidestep the verdict of the Irish voters would cause untold damage to the EU.    What Mr. De Rossa is proposing is the polar opposite of his party leader’s position”.

“Proinsias De Rossa’s position on the future of the Lisbon Treaty creates a dilemma for the Labour Party and its leader Mr. Gilmore.  Who is dictating the Labour Party policy on the Lisbon Treaty, Mr Gilmore and the members, councillors and Labour parliamentary party or Mr. De Rossa?   The public deserve to know where Labour stands and whether it is prepared to allow itself collaborate in an underhand effort to overthrow the democratic result of the June 12^th referendum”.

Issued 23rd September 2008