Irish viewpoints on Lisbon Treaty

The Republic of Ireland will hold a second referendum on the EU's controversial Lisbon Treaty on 2 October. After a decade of treaty negotiations, this is a major hurdle for the EU.
Irish voters rejected the treaty last year, so it is not yet in force. Since then, the EU has given Ireland legally binding "guarantees" on key aspects of Irish sovereignty.
Here two Irish activists explain why they are voting "No" and "Yes" to Lisbon.
NO TO LISBON - CATHERINE CONNOLLY

Voters are being asked to vote again on the exact same treaty already rejected by them.
European leaders and former leaders agree it is substantially the same as the European Constitution, which was rejected by France and the Netherlands in 2005.
Moreover voters are being asked to vote on a treaty which the vast majority of them have not seen, not read and which according to Garret Fitzgerald, former Taoiseach [Irish prime minister], is incomprehensible.
This contempt for democracy is further encapsulated by former French President Valery Giscard D'Estaing, who said "public opinion will be led to adopt, without knowing it, the proposals that we dare not present to them directly".
Having purchased and read the 346-page treaty, I am passionately and clearly advocating a "No" vote.
In the guise of reform, this treaty will give significant new powers to the EU over almost all aspects of our lives, with a concomitant reduction in Ireland's voting strength and sovereign power.
Of particular concern to me is the opening up of our public services, including healthcare, to naked market forces, with only the most minimal protection.
Most frightening of all however is the obscene militarisation of the EU
Q&A: Ireland's new Lisbon vote
There is of course the positive addition of the Fundamental Charter of Rights, but the rights contained therein will clearly be subservient to the hierarchy of economic rights, given the case law to-date.
Most frightening of all however is the obscene militarisation of the EU. Indeed the 20-plus pages setting out our binding obligations are significantly the clearest part of the treaty.
Yes, Ireland's neutrality is protected to the narrow extent that a referendum will be required if Ireland wishes to participate in any common defence.
However if the treaty is adopted, the EU with its new legal personality will immediately move forward with the development of this policy. Indeed there is an obligation on the European Parliament to hold a debate twice a year to monitor its implementation!
Furthermore, member states are obliged to progressively improve their military capabilities, contribute to a start-up fund for military purposes, and are obliged to come to the assistance of another member state if it is subject to armed aggression on its territory - without the need for a referendum. For the latter action, the government has merely to decide that it does not prejudice the specific character of our security and defence policy.
Even more worrying is the binding obligation to show solidarity with any member state which is the object of a terrorist attack and/or the threat of a terrorist attack. Ireland can of course abstain in any such vote, but in a spirit of mutual solidarity will not be permitted to voice any opposition.
The European Defence Agency is being enshrined in the treaty itself for the first time and in reality represents the green light for the arms industry.
If these obligations and developments - and I mention only some - do not ring alarm bells for us, then I am not sure what will. Let us vote for a different type of Europe by voting "No" to the Lisbon Treaty.
Catherine Connolly is an independent Galway City councillor and practising barrister.
YES TO LISBON - BILLIE SPARKS

Women for Europe is a civil society network of women campaigning for a "Yes" vote.
Last time 56% of "No" voters were women, and to us this doesn't add up. We believe that the European Union has been an overwhelmingly positive force in women's lives since we joined in 1973.
It is because of Europe that women cannot be discriminated against at work, and that it is illegal to pay a woman less than a man for the same job. We are urging a "Yes" vote not because of any political allegiance, but because we believe it is in the interests of Ireland, Europe, women and our children to do so.
There was a lot of confusion about the treaty last time round. The campaign was filled with complicated jargon, misinformation and uncertainty.
Research was conducted to see why people voted as they did, and it is on the back of this that the Irish government secured our legally binding guarantees. These guarantees confirm that our position on neutrality, the right to life and our tax rate can only be changed on a national level. These guarantees have been lodged with the UN to give them international treaty standing, just as the Good Friday Agreement was in 1998.
The legitimate concerns raised by Irish women in the first referendum have been addressed by our European partners
So we are essentially voting on a new Lisbon Treaty package this time round, which includes a new and significant concession obtained by Ireland that each country will keep a commissioner. This means that the only way to ensure that Ireland will keep a permanent commissioner is to vote "Yes" on 2 October.
A "Yes" vote will make the Charter of Fundamental Rights legally binding. Until now, the EU has been primarily an economic union, but if Lisbon is passed it will become a community of values. The Charter outlines a set of rights and values that all of us would sign up to, for example:
Equality between women and men;
Everybody's right to human dignity and integrity;
Freedoms - like freedom of expression and information, of assembly and association;
Rights for older people and people with disabilities;
Solidarity - the right to collective bargaining and association.
By bringing together all the rights granted through a range of different agreements, the Charter of Fundamental Rights makes EU citizens' rights clear and accessible. The message is clear: your rights are protected by the EU.
Women for Europe believe that the legitimate concerns raised by Irish women in the first referendum have been addressed by our European partners.
We call for a resounding "Yes" vote to the Lisbon Treaty. It represents the best and most secure way of strengthening the rights of women, of building on our positive experience of membership over 36 years and of securing Ireland's national interest at this most challenging time in our history.