The Workers’ Party have said that the 1937 Constitution was far more accessible to the general public during the referendum of that year than the current Lisbon Treaty is.

Padraig Mannion, Campaign Manager of the Workers’ Party, which is campaigning for a No vote on Lisbon, said that a series of government advertisements in the national press on June 23^rd,  1937 notified the public that the Draft Constitution was available for a price of 2 old pence from every bookshop and post office and could be read without purchasing at Garda Stations, public library or District Court offices throughout the country. 

Mr. Mannion contrasted that with the current Lisbon Treaty document which costs €42 and is not readily available to every voter.

“It is incredible that over seventy years ago, in the depths of the Great Depression and the Economic War, that every voter could get a copy of the Draft Constitution in their local town or village for less than the price of a pint of beer, yet this is not possible in today’s high-tech world”, said Mr. Mannion.

“The 1937 Constitution was clearly worded, in fairly plain language, and was widely read by the voters of the time.  Contrast that with the Lisbon Treaty on which people will vote on June 12^th – it is difficult to get a copy of, is in legalistic language, and is useless without reference to the previous treaties which it amends.  The government and the EU commission literally want people to sign a document without reading the small print, because the small print is deliberately difficult to get hold of”, Mr. Mannion declared.

The Workers’ Party spokesman said that while the Lisbon Treaty could be downloaded, most people were not going to print out a 300 page document on a home computer printer and sitting in front of a PC screen to read a document of that magnitude was impractical, if not bad for the eyes.  “The printed version of the consolidated Lisbon Text should be available widely and at a reasonable price just as the government was able to do with the Draft Constitution back in 1937”.

28th May 2008