Irish MEPs try to stay positive as treaty votes are cast

DUBLIN - Updated 16:15: It’s still too early to get a clear picture of how voting is going in the referendum on the Lisbon treaty, according to Irish MEPs.

But a quick phone round of their constituency offices finds that most have already cast their vote.

Fianna Fáil MEP Eoin Ryan is “reasonably positive” of a favourable outcome for yes camp today – at least in the Dublin constituencies he is touring.

“It’s difficult to get a national picture so far,” he told TheParliament.com. “I’ve cast my vote. But in the last week or so, people have really begun to talk and to listen to what the treaty is about.”

Colm Burke, an MEP for the opposition Fine Gael party, has also cast his ballot, though he is seeing mostly older voters coming out so far this morning around polling stations in Cork in the south of Ireland, which he finds slightly “worrying”.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to today told me they were voting yes,” he told this website.

“Lots of people are very apathetic because they don’t understand, and the no camp has given so much misinformation.

“The people who are voting yes are doing so because Europe has been good to Ireland and the treaty is just another step in the road that Europe is going down.”

Speaking from his home in the west of Ireland, Fianna Fáil MEP Seán Ó Neachtain told this website that he is waiting to cast his vote until there is a "big push" in turn-out in the evening. He says of polling so far, "It's slow, but there is a traditionally slow pace in the morning session.

"There is a very extended polling time this time - from 7am to 10pm - and that is going to have a huge bearing. There will be a big push from around 6pm."

He hopes that the "difficulty" faced by Ireland in the referendum will be understood by Brussels, and thinks that the process has been a positive one.

"If you had a referendum [in another member state] it would be very difficult, too. I hope that is appreciated.

"On the positive side, it has educated people about Europe. People now know what Europe is about."

However, Dublin based Labour MEP Proinsias De Rossa told theparliament.com that he felt that polling had been quite brisk in the capital.

“The indications are that polling is slightly higher than had been expected for this stage in the day, particularly in urban areas. It seems to be mostly lower in working class urban areas and slightly higher in middle class areas.  I expect most voters to go to the polls in the evening.”

Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou MacDonald was unavailable for comment as she is busy canvassing in her Dublin constituency, said a spokesman.

Final results are expected by late afternoon Friday, and polling stations are open until 10pm tonight in an effort to attract more voters.

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