As Fine Gael Director of Elections for North Munster in the EU Fiscal Treaty Referendum, I welcome the strong Yes vote in County Clare and other parts of the region.
The result represents an important building block in further cementing Ireland’s economic stability and ensuring the Government can get on with the work of prioritising growth and jobs in the months and years ahead.
Firstly I want to thank all those who campaigned hard in recent weeks and lent their support to the Yes campaign. We had a robust and frank engagement on the doors, in the media and online with many constituents and I want to thank everyone who took the time to engage.
The endorsement of this Treaty shows that Ireland wants to remain a keen player on the EU stage. It demonstrates too that we are willing to play our part in strengthening European fiscal arrangements. We are a nation of economic realists and know that we must play our part in common sense financial arrangements within the EU.
Having said that, there is a growing recognition and demand that austerity alone cannot and will not get us back on our feet.
This result will allow the Government get on with the business of further stabilising the finances of the country and continuing to build on the work already done. This result will make it easier to ensure we continue to attract foreign direct investment and put us in a stronger position to argue our case with our EU partners.