Day 15: The Fiscal Treaty

Peadar Tóibín calls on the government to invest in jobs. People Before Profit look at the consequences of a YES vote. Fine Gael attack Sinn Féin Fantasy Economics. The Referendum cannot be postponed, unless a General Election is called. And TV3 hope that RTÉ don't nab big TV debate.

Sinn Féin's Peadar Tóibín calls for Jobs Action Plan

Sinn Féin Jobs Spokesperson Peadar Tóibín called for a plan from government to get people back to work. He believes that you cannot take the current approach of austerity and investment, that the Austerity treaty would prevent governments around Europe setting out Job initiatives and the government could only grow their way out of the current economic crisis.

"Sinn Féin has put forward positive proposals on job creation in every year since the crisis began. In each of our budget submissions we have argued for the need to invest in jobs and make job creation in the private sector possible; to remove the banking burden from taxpayers; and to reduce the deficit through fair taxation and eliminating public spending waste." said Tóibín.

Treaty Lacks Specific Commitment on Growth

In an Article for the People Before Profit Campaign www.voteno.ie Kieran Allen has taken a wider look at the European Austerity crisis, where voters in France have voted out their incumbent and those in Greece have decimated the parties in support of Austerity. He believes that the Fiscal Treaty does not provide any specific commitment on growth, he points to how fines will not be imposed if a country fails to cut the numbers unemployed. He concludes by saying "In addition, the politics of growth and austerity are indirect contradiction in a recession. When domestic demand shrinks and the wealthy are not investing, only state investment can re-stimulate a market. But under the Fiscal treaty any large scale form of state investment would be banned. If we want real action on growth, we need to vote NO. "

Sinn Féin - Fantasy Economics

Fine Gael's Paschal Donohoe again comes out attacking Sinn Fein's "Fantasy Economics". He says that SF want to reject EU budget rules and then ask the EU for money. This is in response to SF's €13billion investment package. He asks "Does Sinn Féin really think if we reject the Treaty and turn our back on the EU, we will then be able to turn back around and ask for billions of euro for an investment package?"

Referendum cannot be Postponed - Referendum Commission

The Minister for Agriculture, Simon Conveney TD, has welcomed clarification from the Referendum Commission that the Referendum may not be postponed. He said "The Commission have set out the legal position, by saying that once the Minister for the Environment has made an order setting the date for a referendum, the only circumstance in which the date can be changed is if a general election is called. They added that there are no other circumstances in which the minister has the power to postpone a referendum."

TV3 - Lose The Final Big Debate

TV3 have failed to secure a debate between An Taoiseach and Gerry Adams. During the week TV3 had offered to let Ursula Halligan takeover from Vincent Browne. TV3 are also hoping that RTÉ don't land the big debate by ending their press release with "TV3 can now only assume that the Taoiseach will not appear in televised debates during the course of the referendum campaign including on RTE television, in order to avoid any inference or suggestion of bias towards the state broadcaster."