People who died for our independence would have expected Yes vote - Minister

Minister Lucinda Creighton told a public meeting in Athlone on Monday night that a Yes vote in the upcoming fiscal treaty referendum would pave the way for a brighter future and would be "nothing less than I think the people who fought and died for our independence would have expected." The Fine Gael Minister for European Affairs was guest speaker at Monday's public meeting on the referendum, which was hosted by her party and took place in the Prince of Wales Hotel. Over 50 people attended the meeting and during a question and answer session many attendees quizzed the Minister about a range of topics which included everything from cuts to childcare grants, the impact of austerity on Holland, the proposed China trade hub in Athlone, and fluoride in public water supplies. When she arrived at the hotel, the Minister was booed by a group of approximately 30 members of the Athlone campaign against household and septic tank charges. Minister Creighton told the meeting that there were "a lot of apocalyptic stories out there" about what was in the fiscal treaty but that, in reality, it was there to promote good budgeting in EU States. Ireland's "flawless" implementation of its bailout programme had improved the country's international standing and brought increased foreign investment to the country, she argued. "Things, while they're not easy, are looking up. I think it's imperative that we build on the stability and certainty that we've worked so hard to create." She said a Yes vote would give Ireland the "safety net or insurance policy" of access to European Stability Mechanism funding if it was needed in future. The Minister also pointed out that a Yes vote was advocated by the groups that deliver economic growth in Ireland, such as the farming/agri food sector, Chambers of Commerce, the small firms association and employers' group IBEC. "Ireland is a fantastic country and I'm extremely optimistic about our prospects for getting our country back on track," she said, adding that a No vote would "jeopardise" recent progress. Making sure Ireland was "at the heart of our currency union, at the heart of the EU, and on the world stage" was "nothing less than I think the people who fought and died for our independence would have expected." John McGrath, President of Athlone Chamber of Commerce also spoke in favour of a Yes vote. He said a Yes vote would help maintain economic stability. "It's vitally important that inward investment continues and without stability we're not going to have that," said Mr McGrath. "We are the 'fighting Irish' but I don't think fighting this treaty is the way forward."