Day 24: The Fiscal Treaty

EU summit reach clarification on Treaty, no changes to be made. Sinn Féin Supports Ireland and calls for a NO vote. Exile to Siberia the only tactic not used against NO voters - Joe Higgins.

The EU Leaders have confirmed that the Treaty will not change. Fine Gael's Simon Coveney welcomed the announcement after talks ended at the EU summit in Brussels. He said “It's time for No campaigners to accept the facts as they are, so that voters will not be confused by misleading information in the run up to polling day."

Labour also welcomed the news. Michael McCarthy said "It is important that the Irish people know what they will be voting for on May 31st has not changed and will not change. The Treaty as it stands is water-tight. There will be no change to its text or otherwise, guaranteed. This was emphatically clarified at yesterday's summit meeting and it blows apart the argument by opponents of the Treaty that one should vote No on the basis that EU leaders are going to change it. They won't and they can't."

Sinn Féin launched a Support Euro 2012 campaign calling on a NO vote with soccer pundit Roddy Collins. Senator Kathryn Reilly said "On May 31st Sinn Féin is calling on voters to stand up for Ireland and to say no to this bad deal. If you want to support your country then you should reject the Austerity Treaty. A strong no vote will strengthen the hand of those of us calling for investment in jobs and growth."

Joe Higgins Leader of The Socialist Party has said that the only threat left for NO voters not to be suggested by the Government was exile to Siberia. He said "The Minister for Finance using an opinion of the NTMA about not being able to borrow in the money markets and by business organization IBEC threatening higher electricity and gas bills are the two latest threats. It is reprehensible that the right of the Irish people to vote freely is traduced in such a crude manner." He called for a NO vote and concluded by saying "By voting ‘No’ the Irish people can intensify the growing opposition across Europe to the devastation caused by austerity and help build a movement for a fundamental change in policy".