Referenda

Generation YES is back!

May 14, 2012
By Stephen
Generation YES is back!

YOUTH campaign group Generation YES is back and is saying ‘Yes’ to the referendum on the stability treaty. The group, which formed to burst the bubble on myths around the Lisbon Treaty, have re-launched to challenge what they see as fear-mongering on both sides of the debate on the stability treaty with an online campaign. Andrew Byrne, Executive Director of Generation YES, says: “We want to present the facts on the stability treaty in a no-nonsense way and we...

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Pollwatch: Sunday Business Post/RED C May 14th

May 14, 2012
By Stephen
Pollwatch: Sunday Business Post/RED C May 14th

Yesterday’s Sunday Business Post had a poll on Party Support and the upcoming treaty referendum. For the referendum the Yes side has much to be comforted by. The results are: Yes: 53% (+6) No: 31% (-4) Don’t Know: 16% (-2) When you exclude the Don’t Know yes side lead 63% to 37%. This shows the strength of the Yes side before the entry of Declan Ganley to the debate so it will be interesting to see if his contribution...

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Memes, Cow’s and The Yes Vote

May 4, 2012
By Stephen
Memes, Cow’s and The Yes Vote

Staying up late on Facebook (admit it you do it to), I came across a conversation between two of my friends (Lucy and Fran in UCC YFG), who have obviously being concentrating on the upcoming Treaty Referendum on May 31st as much as their exam in the morning! They produced some great Memes from a conversation about canvassing at a mart and putting rug on a calf (I’m now informed they are called calf jackets – thanks Tom!) with a slogan...

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Why I am Voting Yes – For Stability

May 1, 2012
By Stephen
Why I am Voting Yes – For Stability

A number of people have asked me why I am voting yes in the upcoming referendum on the Stability Treaty (Fiscal Compact, whatever you want to call it!), so I have decided to do a series of posts on why I am voting Yes. Here is the first part of the series. One of the main reasons I am voting yes to the 30th Amendment to the Constitution on May 31st is to ensure Ireland has stability in the...

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YFG Launches YES Campaign

April 30, 2012
By Stephen
YFG Launches YES Campaign

Young Fine Gael today launched its Yes campaign for the Referendum on May 31st. The campaign is titled “Secure our Future, Vote YES”. The official launch will take place this evening in UCD. The campaign is structured around 3 messgaes: Ireland Needs Stability & Growth We need an Ireland that Competes Ireland needs Real Certainty There is a Website (with a blog), Facebook page, a Pinterest page (a first that I know for a referendum campaign in Ireland) and...

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Pollwatch: Sunday Business Post/Red C April 29th

April 30, 2012
By Stephen
Pollwatch: Sunday Business Post/Red C April 29th

Yesterday’s Sunday Business Post had a Red C poll on the treaty referendum and on party support, so it made for interesting reading on the way home from Dublin (hence why this post is late). On the treaty it has shown some slight movement and it is the same story with party support. The headline figures on the treaty are: Yes 47% (-2) No 35% (+2) Don’t Know 18% (nc) When the Don’t Know’s are excluded the figures are: Yes 58%...

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Fiscal Treaty will NOT lead to permanent Austerity

April 25, 2012
By Stephen
Fiscal Treaty will NOT lead to permanent Austerity

One of the mains arguments being used by the No side to the Fiscal Compact Referendum is that this treaty will lead to permanent austerity. A senior IMF official has said that adopting the fiscal treaty does not mean permanent austerity, the complete opposite! Speaking after an event in Brussels, IMF deputy divisional chief Xavier Debrun told reporters that once a government had a more balanced budget situation then belt-tightening was no longer necessary. Mr Debrun said the treaty simply meant that governments adhered...

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Pollwatch: Sunday Times/Behaviour and Attitudes April 22nd

April 21, 2012
By Stephen
Pollwatch: Sunday Times/Behaviour and Attitudes April 22nd

Yet another poll! Thats the way I’m feeling at this point anyway, but back to this poll which does have some interesting details on the Referendum. The poll by Behaviour and Attitudes survey of 946 over seven days ending on Tuesday. The topline figures on the Treaty Referendum are as follows: Yes: 42% No: 27% Undecided: 31% When undecideds are excluded the the figures look more familiar: Yes: 61% No: 39% So no major news there. The interest is...

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The Referendum Question wording

April 20, 2012
By Stephen
The Referendum Question wording

The wording of the Referendum was published in the Dáil Order Paper for today (PDF) . You are being asked if Ireland may ratify the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union. The Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union) Bill 2012 proposes to insert the following subsection after subsection 9° ofArticle 29.4 of the Constitution: ‘10°The State may ratify the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and...

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Pollwatch: Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI April 19th

April 19, 2012
By Stephen
Pollwatch: Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI April 19th

There is a poll in today’s Irish Times by Ipsos MRBI on the upcoming referendum on Fiscal Compact. The headline figures are Yes: 30% No: 23% Undecided: 39% Not voting: 8% When the undecideds and those not voting are excluded it buts the sides on the following: Yes: 58% No: 42% Interestingly Fine Gael voters are the strongest supporters of the treaty with 54% in favour. There is 9% against and 34% undecided. Fianna Fail voters are next strongest supporters with...

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