Niamh Uí Bhriain wrote in the Slugger O'Toole blog: "The following facts are important to remember. Without the Lisbon Treaty, we’re still a full member of the EU, and we can’t be thrown out. We still have access to all EU markets. We can still borrow from EU Banks.
"That’s because the Lisbon Treaty is not about providing jobs or encouraging enterprise – it’s a treaty designed to centralise political power in the European Union. But that bid to create a federal super state also "Professor Ray Kinsella of UCD, an economist and expert in banking, was one of the few who foresaw the crash. Now he warns that “Lisbon will not aid the recession, and is, in fact, likely to make things worse.” Here’s why.
"Up to 150,000 people are employed by multinationals based in Ireland. Those companies come here because of our low corporate tax rate; something which has long rankled with other EU member states who feel this policy gives Ireland has an unfair advantage in attracting investment. The Lisbon Treaty allows our low taxes to be attacked – with disastrous effects as multinationals leave taking badly-needed jobs with them. (…)
"And at a time when wages are already being hit hard, the treaty also allows big business to import cheap labour and undercut Irish workers. This is grossly unfair on both sets of workers, but has been given the stamp of approval in a series of recent EU court cases. Lisbon will bring a race to the bottom in terms of wages – a serious blow to struggling families who will be forced to take a paycut or see their jobs go elsewhere.(…)
"The EU hampers our right to promote Irish goods, and is now threatening our ability to attract foreign companies here to provide jobs. And under Lisbon , the EU can levy direct taxes on us for the first time; the last thing we need as levies and extra taxes hit our wages and pensions.(…)
"But the Lisbon Treaty loses us power and influence in Europe. It means we become less influential at a time when we need to be in control. It means our needs will be secondary to what the bigger member states desire. We just can’t afford this bad treaty." Read the post here.
