Irish Minister Dick Roche slams Libertas for spewing vitriolic empty rhetoric

"Libertas tendency to spew vitriolic empty rhetoric without out having a
single policy stance"

Ganley is slammed for his empty vitriol by Irish minister Dick Roche in a statement issued today. This follows an attack by Ganley on Roche where he seemed to blame him for the global financial downturn. Ganley should know it is not undemocratic to have a second vote on Lisbon under new conditions. What the outcome of that will be will be up to the Irish people. That is democratic. email peoplekorps@gmail.com

Ganley cannot deny the Irish people their right to review the Lisbon decision: Dick Roche Irish Minister for European Affairs 25/1/2009

Libertas' tendency to spew vitriolic empty rhetoric without out having a single policy stance on practical matters like education, health care,economics, is well illustrated by Declan Ganley's latest pronouncements. Ganley, as usual, substitutes personal abuse for political argument.

In the debate to date I have avoided dealing with Mr Ganley in a similar manner though, there are many questions about his style of business operations and personal attitudes that could well do with a public airing as the recent the Prime Time programme broadcast by RTE demonstrated.

Ganley's reckless disregard for the well-being of this country is illustrated by the absolute paucity of policy put forward by his new political party, Libertas.

To date in the only policy statement that has been made by Libertas, other than the fact that Ganley personally opposes the Lisbon, has been a statement about the party attempting to collect €75 million by way of contributions.

At no other time in the history of the Union have the economic pressures been so acute. At the very time when Europe needs to combine its efforts to deal with the worldwide economic challenges and Ganley espouses the division of the Union that has been at the very heart of Ireland's economic progress in recent years.

Rather than seek a united front to tackle the economic challenges we face, Ganley and Libertas seek to undermine and destroy the European Union at a time of turmoil that is leading to thousands of job losses in this country and millions of job losses globally.

The fact that the current global economic downturn had its origins in the freewheeling non-regulated market conditions that Ganley and his neoconservative ilk propagate seems to have passed straight over the man's head.

Ganley likes to preach about democracy but shows little understanding of our democracy. His latest comments were delivered from Spain yet when Mr Ganley chooses to talk about referendum results he conveniently forgets the result in the last Spanish referendum.

In a democracy people have the right to revisit democratic decisions. Particularly where the circumstances have changed. The Irish government on behalf of the Irish people is now engaged in detailed negotiations with the European colleagues. These negotiations are aimed at producing legally binding agreements which will address the concerns expressed by the Irish people in the most recent Irish referendum. The Irish government has already won a major victory on behalf of the Irish people in persuading EU colleagues to agree that in the event of the Lisbon Treaty being ratified, the very element in the Treaty which Ganley himself sought to dismiss will be used to guarantee an Irish Commissioner into the future.

When the negotiations are completed and the necessary guarantees have been agreed the Irish people have a right to give their opinion on the changes and no self appointed individual such as Mr Ganley has the right to deny the Irish people the opportunity to give their judgement on the new arrangements and on Ireland's continued relationship with the European Union.

ENDS