When the Lisbon Treaty was not passed the first time, one of the biggest reasons for young people voting against the treaty was due to a lack of information on what it consisted of and what effects it had for Ireland. The government was blamed for not placing enough emphasis on the treaty. However, young people should have looked at the effort they themselves had made to become familiar with the Treaty’s contents.
This time around, there is no excuse. Posters, leaflets and websites have been set up in abundance to inform and educate Irish citizens about Europe and the Lisbon Treaty. The people of Ireland have been given every opportunity to find out about the treaty and cannot use a lack of information as a reason to vote No or not vote at all.
Campaigns for the Yes and No vote have been criticised for over-dramatising the contents of the Treaty and its impact on Ireland’s future but the onus is on people themselves to make their own choice about the Treaty and not to just listen to the opinions of political parties.
“TalktoEU” (http://www.talktoeu.ie/) is a website and Facebook page, which allows people to ask questions about the EU and make comments about EU issues. The mission of the page is “To inform people about the EU and what it does, and can do for you, using clear and simple facts.”
Photo albums on the page include "Who is who of the EU Commission" and a recent discussion on the page was “With only three weeks to go until the referendum, how do you feel the Yes and No campaigns are dealing with the Lisbon Treaty?”
“TalktoEU” is utilising Facebook as a way of getting young people involved with Europe. All questions asked are answered and young people can share their opinions and educate other friends on the page. This is one of a number of initiatives set up for young people to take advantage of in the run up to the referendum.
There is no excuse for the people of Ireland not to vote on October 2nd in the Lisbon Treaty referendum. So the next time you are checking your status updates on Facebook or your friends' holiday snaps on their homepage, give the “TalktoEU” page a quick look. You never know what you could learn or teach others.
The upcoming Lisbon Treaty referendum gives young people a second opportunity to voice their opinion on Ireland's relationship going forward with Europe. The result of the referendum is not a foregone conclusion as recent opinion polls have shown. Young people in the East constituency chose their MEPs back in June and now have to make another trip back to the polling booth. Three young people from the East share their reasons as to why they are voting No on October 2nd:
Peter, who is 21 years of age and in college, is adamant that he is voting no in the referendum. "I don't know why we have to go through all of this again," said Peter. "The Irish people voted, they chose no and that decision should be respected. It's as if the government will keep making us vote until we eventually say yes and I believe that is completely unfair." Although Peter believes the second referendum should not be taking place he will exercise his vote regardless. "I think it's important for me to vote, otherwise the yes campaign will win if everyone who shares my opinion doesn't bother to fill out their ballot paper," he said.
Heather is a 23 year old from Meath who recently finished college and has had no success in securing employment so far. "The government says that by agreeing to the Lisbon Treaty that more jobs will be created but I feel they are only saying this in order to push the treaty through. There is no concrete evidence that saying Yes or No to Lisbon will guarantee jobs to anyone so I don't know why this is being used as part of the campaign," she said. Heather has not fully decided which way to vote but is currently swayed towards voting No. "I'm probably taking my anger out on the government by voting against them but I'm just fed up of the situation I'm in and find it very hard to agree with any decisions they make."
John is 20 years of age and has the same opinion as Heather. He is in the workforce and has discussed the pros and cons of the Lisbon Treaty with fellow work colleagues in Kildare. "There definitely has been a lot more effort this time around with informing the public about what the Lisbon Treaty has to offer but I'm not convinced that Lisbon will benefit Ireland and I think the Yes campaign is completely exaggerating the benefits of passing it," said John. "I know Ireland's relationship with Europe is important but there are other domestic issues that should be resolved first."
The next few weeks will see both campaigns for and against the Treaty come into full swing. Informing yourself about the Lisbon Treaty is key. Whatever your decision is, make sure you use your vote on October 2nd.
The young voters of Ireland face a tough decision. No, not what flavour Pot Noodle to get, but one which could essentially determine their future as Europeans. Whether you are for or against this Treaty, get the correct information before you vote. A good place to start is http://www.lisbontreaty2009.ie/ or http://www.europeanmovement.ie/, where you will find clear, concise and waffle-free information. Ignore the posters, ignore the politicians and just vote on the facts.
Three young voters from the East Constituency share why they will vote Yes on October 2nd. Michael is 21 and from Newbridge in Kildare. “A friend of mine is very active in politics and she gave me information on what the Treaty is about. After reading up on it I was amazed at the difference between the facts and the rumours. I thought this Treaty would bring abortion into the country and that I would be conscripted into an EU army. It’s crazy how many lies are being told. If I hadn’t read up on it I probably would be voting No.” Michael gave information to his friends and encouraged them to read before they made a decision. “Now around ten of my mates are voting Yes.”
Marie is 19 and from Carlow. She is preparing to return to UCD for her second year as an Arts student. “My family are all voting Yes for the second time. The stuff that is on the posters makes me want to vote Yes even more... it’s not true so why would I vote the way they want us to?” Marie fears the reception Ireland will get in Europe if the No side succeed will be “devastating especially for people our age... we were born into Europe and benefited from it so far, so we should cooperate.”
James from Athy is 24 and in full time employment. “I voted No the last time around probably because I was afraid of what would happen to Ireland. Some said we would lose our influence in Europe... I didn’t know who to believe...and couldn’t find the facts.” Recently James decided to vote Yes because of the guarantees that were sought by the Irish Government. “Any worries I had were sorted by the guarantees...and I accept this Treaty will make Europe more efficient.” James has since become active on Boards.ie and Politics.ie telling other younger voters why he has changed his mind. “There is still a lot of uncertainty among young people but I have been telling them what sites to go on and what is or isn’t fact.”
Public debate over the next few weeks will feature claims however ridiculous from both sides urging voters to side with them to secure Ireland’s future. While the excitement of this referendum will keep voters enthralled, it is imperative to be aware of the facts. Separate the typical election drivel from what this Treaty really involves and bear in mind that for every decision made there will be a consequence.
All but a few election posters remain, dotted around towns in Kildare. Similarly to the candidates after the election, the remaining posters look tired and worn, battered by the changing weather of the last few weeks, clinging by the last piece of string to stay upright on their designated lamp posts. The European election has drawn to a close and unlike the campaign posters whose role is completed, the work of the newly elected MEPs has only begun.
The East sees the return of two MEPs who now begin their second term of office in Brussels. In the overall scheme of events for Aylward and McGuinness, the elections were a distraction from the work they are involved in at EU level. On her Facebook page MaireadMcGuinness blogged: "The next five years will be pivotal for Ireland and for the food sector and agriculture in particular. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in." A farmer's work is never done!
Nessa Childers will understandably take the longest to settle into her new role as MEP. This is the time where Ms. Childers must prove that she is more than just a name. She must come out from behind the shadow of her late father and show that she deserves to be in the European Parliament.
All is not lost for the candidates in the East who were not elected. Senator John Paul Phelan and Thomas Byrne TD will return to their day jobs, which cannot be taken for granted in these economic times.SinnFéin candidate Tomas Sharkey was elected to Louth County Council at the weekend and commented on his Facebook page: "I topped the poll in the Council area and was elected on the first count with a huge surplus." His running mate Kathleen Funchion also begins her work as a local councillor, joking on Facebook: "Any pot holes need fixing?"
The independent candidates will carry on with their lives - back to normality for the three men who remained predominantly under the radar. Jim Tallon has entered every election since 1981 with his highest number of votes polling at 163. On Sunday he trumped his record by receiving 2,412 first preference votes. Don't be surprised if you see Mr. Tallon's name again after this result; coming to a ballot paper near you!
Unfortunately for one of the losers in the East, it can be argued that all is lost for Libertas candidate Raymond O'Malley and his political future. Whether Mr. O'Malley will reinvent himself for the next election or put a halt to his political aspirations like leader DeclanGanley, only time will tell. Libertas has made a lot of enemies on the campaign circuit so keeping a low profile for the foreseeable future is the best option.
And that leaves us with Youth Media for Europe. The European election has been a learning curve, providing an interactive taste of the goings-on of politics at election time. European politics should not be viewed as alien by the young, it is vital to participate in healthy debate, discussing issues of concern. On the flip side, politicians should not overlook the power of the youth and make every effort to get young people involved in topics at local, national and EU level.
Watch out in the future as the youngsters of Youth Media for Europe become the new broadcasters ofRTE, the new columnists of theIrish Timesor even the new candidates knocking at your door looking for your number one to send them to Brussels. It could be your face on one of those worn out posters next!
Driving up to the Punchestown Event Centre, my mind was running wild about what madness would greet me at the count centre’s door. Images of sweat trickling down the foreheads of worried faces, nervous hands twitching in anticipation of results, people walking aimlessly around the centre to settle their restlessness – and that was just the journalists.
Candidates from the East constituency had run strong but predictable campaigns and the results were a given before the very first vote was counted. With the exception of whether or not Senator John Paul Phelan would get the last available seat, the results in the East constituency had been foreseen from the outset.
By the time I entered the doors in Punchestown on Sunday afternoon, the elements of the East candidate’s campaigns were reflected in the sights that met my eyes. The hall was predominantly empty with very few supporters and only one candidate in attendance. The media occupied a small corner cordoned off behind railings and other than that vote counters and tallymen stood casually around, tired and fed up with the long weekend they had just endured.
Where was the excitement? Where was the drama? Similarly to the campaigns, the counts were there to fulfil a purpose. Entertainment was only a by-product that had to flow naturally from the process. In this case it did not.
The attempt to add excitement to the campaign trail saw MaireadMcGuiness and John Paul Phelan being placed against each other to recreate the tension that existed between McGuinness and Doyle five years previous. Whether this game plan was constructed within Fine Gael or by the media is yet to be determined, but either way, the drama fizzled out early on when it became apparent that McGuinness and Phelan had nothing but goodwill for each other. The chance of a cat fight or even a war of words was next to none.
One would think that having a Libertas candidate thrown into the mix would create the much needed buzz that was missing from the East constituency. Raymond O’Malley failed to make a splash however and his dismal performance in the count of first preference votes illustrated this.
The looming results of the first count were being delivered at 9pm and until then the minutes and seconds were ticking by, one after another. At 8pm, the adrenalin missing from the afternoon began to kick in. The hall suddenly seemed smaller as countless supporters flooded the vacant space.
Candidates were dotted around the centre, each surrounded by their 'people' offering moral support. When 9pm was only moments away, every flash of a camera made it feel like New Year’s Eve and that a countdown for the new Millennium would start at any second.
The returning officer announced the predictable results we all saw coming but this did not take away from the raw emotion that filled the count centre. Fine Gael supporters lapped up the victory and Labour followers were ecstatic, even though Childers had yet to reach the quota.
For those few moments, the experience of a count is electric, the atmosphere unparalleled. I felt like I was witnessing history in the making. It was worth the long and tiring wait. Similarly to the campaigns by candidates in the East, the count was a slow burner but as they say “patience is a virtue” and it certainly paid off in Punchestown.
Oh, how the tides have turned. In the run up to the elections in 2004, MEPMairéadMcGuinness was an outside bet when she entered the rat race. Now, in 2009 she is the only sure bet to bag a coveted seat in the East constituency.
Her campaign this year has been strong, active and fearless. The vote count at the weekend is a formality for the “straight talking” MEP. What will interest Fine Gael is not whether Ms. McGuinness gets through or not (that's already a given) but by how much and if she can carry John Paul Phelan over the threshold with her.
Mairead McGuinness speaking to Grace Campbell in Navan, Co. Meath
Although Fianna Fail, as a party, is not in the most popular position, MEP Liam Aylward looks set to retain his seat in the East. He too has provided constituents with a strong, vigorous campaign and has demonstrated a worthy voice in European negotiations over the last five years.
Can his personality win out over his party? In this case, the deeply rooted Kilkenny man with his political family record will hold onto his unwavering support in the heart of Leinster and be pulled across the finishing line.
Liam Aylward speaking to Grace Campbell in Leixlip, Co. Kildare
The last seat is where the fun really begins. It is a battle between Labourand Fine Gael for the final seat from two candidates who will provide fresh blood in Europe for the East.
Mismanagement of votes could scupper John Paul Phelan's chances of being elected. Nessa Childer’s “Foxrock” image could damage her credibility among agriculturally based voters.
It will depend on whether voters want Fine Gael dominance for the East in Europe again or a change with Labour's perspective in the pot for good measure.
John Paul Phelan vs. Nessa Childers
McGuinness, Aylward and Childers is the combination that I believe will come out on top for the East constituency. Whether this threesome tickles your fancy or boils your blood, you can make a difference by voting on Friday, 5 June.
