The Government is determined to ensure that more information is available during this EU Treaty referendum campaign than in any previous Irish referendum.
Deputy Michael Fitzpatrick T.D. has welcomed the statement from EU Affairs Minister Dick Roche TD that before polling day on the Reform Treaty referendum the people of Ireland will have more factual information available to them on the Treaty than has been made available in any previous Irish referendum.
Taken together, all of this information will help the electorate to be very well informed on the Reform Treaty in the period leading to the referendum," Deputy Fitzpatrick added.
- A 22-page bilingual guide to the Treaty was published last month. Copies are available at present through the lo-call number 1850 211602. Plans are being put in place to deliver a copy of this guide to as many households as possible over the next six weeks.
- Copies of the explanatory pamphlet and the 22-page guide are available through the dedicated website www.reformtreaty.ie
- Anybody can ring the lo-call number 24 hours per day and leave a request for copies of the Treaty, for other material or can leave specific queries which will receive individual attention.
- A White Paper, which will provide a detailed analysis of the Reform Treaty, will also be published in early April.
- A guide to the Treaty has been published by the National Forum on Europe. The Forum itself is holding a widely advertised series of public sessions throughout the country.
- A Consolidated Version of the Treaties, outlining what the European Treaties will look like after the Reform Treaty is ratified, has been produced by the Irish Institute of International and European Affairs. A PDF version of this volume, which has been widely acclaimed, can be downloaded free of charge from the website www.reformtreaty.ie . A copy of the Consolidated Version of the Treaties was last month sent to every public library in the country.
A very significant budget has been set aside for the Referendum Commission. The Commission, which is an independent body, will put its own strategy in place for public information on the Treaty and to encourage maximum voter participation in the Referendum itself.
On the Reform Treaty itself, Deputy Fitzpatrick added that EU membership has been massively beneficial and greatly influential in many facets of our economy and society - providing significant funding; improving working conditions; and opening up trading barriers and increasing market access through the Single Market. EU membership is, and will continue to be, crucial to Ireland’s well-being.
The Reform Treaty will not only improve the way the Union functions but will support and sustain economic growth; create and protect jobs; promote international trade and environmental sustainability; and speed up decision making.