There is a new and changed basis which justifies the holding of the Lisbon Treaty referendum - Ireland has retained the right to appoint a member to the European Commission at all times into the future and we have secured legally binding guarantees which ensures that the Lisbon Treaty does not affect our taxation system, our neutrality and protections enshrined in articles in the Irish constitution concerning the right to life, education and the family -


Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP for the constituency of North and West today said that " there is now a changed basis which justifies the holding of the Lisbon Treaty referendum on October 2nd next."

Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP said that " Ireland has now retained the right to appoint one member to the European Commission at all times into the future. This is different from the last Lisbon Treaty referendum when Ireland would only have the right to appoint a member to the European Commission for ten out of every fifteen years.

We have also secured legal guarantees which ensure that the Lisbon Treaty does not affect our taxation system and does not affect our military neutrality.

There is also a legally binding guarantee which states very clearly that the Lisbon Treaty and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights does not affect the protections enshrined in articles in the Irish constitution concerning the right to life, education and the family.

We have sought to address the concerns of the Irish people as expressed in the referendum last year.
The retention of our member of the European Commission and agreement on the legal guarantees for Ireland achieves these very purposes."

August 23rd 2009.