Bruton calls for new Lisbon referendum
FORMER Taoiseach John Bruton has come out in favour of holding a second referendum on the "unreadable" Lisbon Treaty.
He became the most senior political figure since Junior Minister for Europe Dick Roche to make the call, in an appearance at the newly formed Oireachtas Lisbon sub-committee.
Mr Bruton, now the EU's ambassador to the US, said he favoured a re-run of the referendum with better information provided because a lot of voters did not understand the treaty.
"It is fair to say that the Lisbon Treaty was written in such a fashion to make it unreadable," he said.
However, he did not suggest a time for Taoiseach Brian Cowen and his Government to hold such a referendum, after the first was rejected last June by a 53pc majority.
"The timing of that is a matter for fine political judgement, best made by those living in the country, and I'm not one of those," he said.
A spokesman for Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said that Mr Bruton's view on a second referendum was a personal one and that no decision on the party's position would be made until the Lisbon sub-committee had concluded its work.
Mr Bruton also called for the Oireachtas to pass legislation to clarify if future EU treaties would need to be put to a referendum in the first place.
Baffled
"It should set out when a referendum is necessary on an EU treaty in Irish law, and when it is not," he said.
His call drew an angry response from Sinn Fein MEP Mary Lou McDonald, who accused him of being part of the "political choreography" for the re-run of the Lisbon Treaty.
Mr Bruton also told the committee that Americans he had spoken to had been "baffled" by the Lisbon Treaty 'No' vote; that it could have a "psychological impact" on investors who believed the country had lost its clout in Europe; and that it had resulted in no Irish person being put on two important EU committees.
Mr Bruton gave nine reasons why the Lisbon Treaty was worth saving, including its provisions to improve co-operation on cross border crime.
He told TDs and senators that every crime in their constituencies had an international dimension, whether it was drugs (imported from abroad), weapons (imported from abroad) or the proceeds (often lodged in a secret bank account abroad).
But Mr Bruton said the Government had lost its best populist argument during the campaign by "opting out" of the crime and justice co-operation elements in the treaty.
- Michael Brennan Political Correspondent
