The famous phrase of events overtaking politics and political strategies, comes to mind very sharply as I sit down to write this first column on the Lisbon Treaty and instead of outlining some of the positive aspects of the Treaty I find I must deal with the most recent ‘event’ in Sligo.  The ‘event’ I am referring to is of course the announcement by Senator Geraldine Feeney that following discussions with An Taoiseach Brian Cowen she is saying that the campaign to retain the cancer services in Sligo is over.  This comes as a horrible shock to very many people and there is real anger and deep frustration among the general public over this announcement.  At the same time we have the self same Taoiseach Brian Cowen saying that his first priority is to get a YES vote to Lisbon and hey presto those who are angry and frustrated see an opportunity to deliver a strong message to Brian Cowen.  Basically they are saying “our cancer services means more to us than Lisbon means to you and if you won’t listen to us – we won’t listen to you”.  That’s a very understandable and human reaction – when we feel our concerns are being ignored we look for leverage, we look for a way to vent our frustration and express our anger.

The problem is if we use the Lisbon vote to deliver that message we may end up damaging Irelands influence within the E.U and causing some uncertainty for foreign business that is considering Ireland as a location.  I make the last statement because I have read very carefully what Paul Rellis, President of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland said about a possible NO to Lisbon.  The American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland represents the interests of all of the U.S. Multinational companies in Ireland and Mr. Rellis, as its President said that at a time of increased economic challenge, voting No will raise a significant question internationally about Ireland’s continuing capacity to influence policy in Europe.  “A No vote will be an unquantifiable but additional weighting against Ireland in any international comparison”, he said.  “Ireland is an open economy that exports 85% of everything it produces.  We trade to live.  Every aspect of our capacity to influence policy abroad and increase competitiveness at home must be exploited”.  As a representative of the U.S. Multinationals in Ireland, that is his point of view and I think it would be sensible for us to consider that when we vote on Lisbon.

To return to the announcement about cancer services, I am well aware that no one votes in a vacuum.  When we walk into the polling booth we carry with us our concerns about local issues, as well as our perspective on the bigger picture – the European picture.  It is very difficult to separate them, but I believe we should try, because like all votes we take, the outcome of this vote will have consequences and we need to keep that in mind.

In the final analysis we vote on Lisbon for ourselves the Irish people, not for Brian Cowen, not for the Government but for ourselves.  Whether we vote YES or NO, the Government will remain until we have another general election.  That’s why I am asking people in this situation to look at the specific question, to decide on Lisbon, not to pass judgement on the Government or their actions, the time will come for that.  I ask this respectfully because I know the depth of feeling, and I know that there is a sense that we are banging our heads off a stone wall.

I as somebody who has campaigned for equal treatment, for equal access to services, for balanced regional development ask very respectfully for people to consider the bigger picture – to consider our place in Europe and where we want to go from here.  The reason I ask respectfully is that we thankfully live in a democracy and people have a right to say YES or NO.  Ireland as a sovereign state can decide her own future and in this particular case, on the future of the E.U.  That’s what it comes down to in the final analysis, because 26 Member States will say YES and ratify Lisbon and they await the outcome of the Irish vote.  That’s the magnitude and the importance of the decision we take on June 12th.  I don’t say this in an effort to put pressure on people, only to describe the reality of the situation, the significance of the decision we will make.

Over the next few weeks I will attempt to outline the main provisions in the treaty.  I will also tell you why I am voting YES and why I believe YES is the “better way to vote”.  I don’t have a monopoly on wisdom, but I have read the Treaty, I have taken advice even from the Attorney General’s Office, I have listened, actively listened to the debates at European and now National level.  In my opinion there is nothing in this Treaty that will damage Ireland’s interest or damage the E.U.  There are good reasons to vote YES – I will enlarge on these in the forthcoming weeks, but I also understand the relevance of that famous quote by Tip O’Neill “all politics is local”.  Like a lot of well known phrases it’s true and yet at times it’s not true. Sometimes it describes the situation and sometimes it doesn’t.  Sometimes the balance tilts towards the National or to the European picture.  I am hoping that when we are all faced with the question on June 12th that somehow we will be able to find the balance between the local and the global.  The truth is that’s the world we live in, trying to influence the local and manage the global and sometimes that’s a very delicate balancing act.  As citizens, as voters that’s our responsibility.  It’s a daunting prospect but living in a democracy it’s one we should welcome, at least it tells us we are a sovereign people and that in itself is something we should be glad of.