Libertas founder says he only donated €6,500 to group
Wednesday June 11 2008
ANTI-treaty campaigner Declan Ganley reacted angrily yesterday to questions about the financing of his Libertas group.
He said he had personally spent just under €6,500 -- the maximum personal donation allowable -- with the remainder of Libertas' €1.3m budget coming from donations from the public.
"This is the thing, it's untrue to say I have invested this money. We're getting donations in every day from business, from taxi drivers, from all sorts of people," he said.
In his final news conference in Dublin, he said the 'Yes' side was finding it very uncomfortable to see the people of Ireland rising up and saying 'No' to a treaty that was "clearly a bad deal for the people of Ireland and for all of the people of Europe".
"These people (the Libertas volunteers) are here of their own free will, they're not being paid, they're out there and we've got hundreds of people across this country campaigning for a 'No' vote because it's in the interest of our country and of all the citizens.
Mr Ganley then said: "Thank you" to reporters and walked off abruptly to the black-coloured 'Vote No to Lisbon' bus parked on Merrion Square.
His group's €1.3m budget is greater than the combined budgets of all the major political parties. Fianna Fail is spending €600,000, Fine Gael is spending €500,000 and Labour is spending about €200,000.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen attacked Libertas yesterday, saying the group was spending more money than all the political parties put together "and nobody knows where their money comes from".
Fine Gael European Affairs spokeswoman Lucinda Creighton called on the group to "come clean" on the source of its funding.
"It is extremely disturbing that a group that is outspending Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour put together will not disclose the sources of its funding," she said.
Mr Ganley said his group would provide full disclosure of its donations in accordance with the rules of the Standards in Public Office commission.
He accused the 'Yes' side of trying to bully potential 'No' voters -- trying to scare them. into changing their mind.
"Look at the French Foreign Minister (Bernard Kouchner) saying the first victims of a 'No' vote would be the Irish," he said.
- Michael Brennan Political Correspondent
