IRELAND: IRISH PUBLIC GEAR UP TO VOTE IN REFERENDUM ON THE NICE TREATY FOR SECOND TIME

Record ID: 328673

  • Title: IRELAND: IRISH PUBLIC GEAR UP TO VOTE IN REFERENDUM ON THE NICE TREATY FOR SECOND TIME
  • Date: 16th October 2002
  • Summary: (EU) DUBLIN, IRISH REPUBLIC (OCTOBER 18, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE VIEW OF DUBLIN SHOWING BRIDGES ACROSS THE RIVER LIFFEY 0.05 2. CLOSER VIEW OF BRIDGES ACROSS RIVER LIFFEY 0.10 3. WS: PERSON WALKING ACROSS BRIDGE OVER RIVER LIFFEY 0.16 4. ANOTHER WIDE OF PEDESTRIANS CROSSING BRIDGE 0.19 5. PAN FROM RIVER TO BUILDING ABOVE RIVER WITH HUGE BANNER HANGING FROM IT WHICH READS: 'NO TO WAR, NO TO NICE, NO TO AMERICAN TERRORISM' 0.30 6. WIDE OF GRAFTON STREET PEDESTRIAN MALL IN CENTRAL DUBLIN WITH LAMPOST ON LEFT WITH "YES" AND "NO" POSTERS 0.34 7. CLOSEUP OF ANTI-NICE TREATY POSTER WHICH READS: "GOODBYE UN, HELLO NATO" 0.38 8. MV: CROWD OF PEDESTRIANS ON GRAFTON MALL 0.43 9. SV/SCU OF FRANCIS KIERAN, AN ACTIVIST WITH FIANNA FAIL POLITICAL PARTY, WHICH IS PRO-NICE TREATY, HANDING OUT LEAFLETS WHICH URGE PEOPLE TO VOTE "YES" TO THE NICE TREATY (2 SHOTS) 1.03 10. CLOSEUP OF LEAFLETS WHICH FRANCES KIERAN IS HANDING OUT, KIERAN IS TELLING PEOPLE THAT TOMORROW IS A VERY IMPORTANT VOTE ON THE REFERENDUM 1.06 11. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) FRANCIS KIERAN, AN ACTIVIST WITH FIANNA FAIL POLITICAL PARTY, WHICH IS PRO NICE, SAYING: "I'm canvassing for the 'Yes' vote because I think it is important both for Europe and for Ireland. For Europe, because the European community needs a change of structure for enlargement and needs to evolve and develop. For Ireland, because Ireland has done very well out of Europe and because contrary to what the 'No' campaigners say, the Nice Treaty is a very good deal for Ireland, and because Ireland, which has always been a pro European country, will continue to be pro active and at the forefront of Europe and a 'Yes' vote will ensure that tomorrow." 1.34 12. SV OF SHARON ELLUL BONICI OF MALTA HANDING OUT LEAFLETS FROM THE 'NO TO NICE' CAMPAIGN, WHICH URGES PEOPLE TO VOTE 'NO' IN THE REFERENDUM 1.42 13. CLOSEUP OF 'NO' LEAFLETS WHICH ELLUL BONICI IS HANDING OUT 1.48 14. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) SHARON ELLUL BONICI, OF MALTA, WHO IS CAMPAIGNING ON BEHALF OF THE 'NO TO NICE' GROUP, SAYING: "Ok, first of all the Irish had a referendum last year. I think it is undemocratic to have another referendum within a couple of months. If the Treaty of Nice is ratified then the eight member states can govern with enhanced cooperation and smaller states, like Ireland, and like Malta, will be treated like second class citizens." 2.10 15. MV: MORE OF PEDESTRIANS 2.16 16. CU: SOUNDBITE (English) VOX POP, WOMAN SPEAKING ABOUT HER CONCERN THAT THE ISSUES IN THE REFERENDUM ARE NOT CLEAR, SAYING: "People have all these strong ideas that this is going to happen, or that that is going to happen, but I just don't think it's very clear what will be good for the country, but I really do think the 'Yes' will go through." 2.28 17. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) VOX POP, MAN SAYING: "Our government is asking us to vote 'Yes' and Sinn Fein and the Green party are asking us to vote 'No'. Also, I'm not clear on why we're having another vote after we've already rejected it anyway." 2.45 (EU) KINALECK, IRISH REPUBLIC (OCTOBER 16, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 18. GENERAL VIEWS OF IRISH COUNTRYSIDE/ROLLING HILLS (2 SHOTS) 2.59 19. CU: POSTER OF THE FARMER'S ASSOCIATION URGING FARMERS TO VOTE 'YES' TO NICE TREATY; PAN TO DAIRY FARMERS IN YARD AT DAIRY WAITING TO DELIVER THEIR MILK TO THE DAIRY TRUCK 3.11 20. CLOSE OF DAIRY FARMERS 3.15 21. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) DAIRY AND BEEF FARMER CATHAL FARRELLY SPEAKING ABOUT HOW HE WILL VOTE IN SATURDAY'S REFERENDUM, SAYING: "You see the expansion in this country in the past 30 years that we have benefitted from, we should give eastern European countries the same chance. We'd be denying them that chance if we vote 'no'." 3.29 22. SV'S/CU: FARMERS POURING MILK FROM CONTAINER (3 SHOTS) 3.47 23. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) DAIRY FARMER CATHAL FARRELLY, ASKED IF HE IS WORRIED ABOUT COMPETITION FROM EAST EUROPEAN FARMERS, SAYING: "Competition is the life of the trade. It's up to us to get in there and be competitive and keep our ground." 3.56 24. VIEWS OF COWS IN FIELD (3 SHOTS) 4.11 Initials GOOD STOCKSHOTS OF DUBLIN Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 31st October 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: DUBLIN AND KINALECK, IRISH REPUBLIC
  • Country: Ireland
  • Reuters ID: LVA5DECMOHWYJUI3WH0T095YBYLO
  • Story Text: The Irish Republic is gearing up to vote on Saturday in
    a referendum on the Nice Treaty which holds the key to EU
    expansion. Pro- and anti- treaty activists have been out
    canvassing in a bid to persuade voters to vote 'Yes' or 'No'.

    But for some voters, the issues are still not clear.



    Campaigners fanned out across Ireland on Friday
    (October 18) in a last-ditch attempt to persuade voters to
    pass a treaty this weekend that the EU says is essential for
    enlarging the 15-nation bloc.

    Ireland's 2.9 million-strong electorate vote on the treaty
    for the second time in a referendum on Saturday (October 19).

    Last year only a third of them turned out and rejected it by
    54 percent.

    The setback threw into limbo EU plans to admit 10 new
    member states, mostly from Central and Eastern Europe. Another
    defeat, analysts say, would be disastrous for enlargement.

    Polls this time put the 'Yes' vote comfortably ahead, with
    one of the latest showing 42 percent for the treaty and 29
    percent opposed.

    European Commission President Romano Prodi said he was
    optimistic the treaty would pass this time.

    Ireland's official media campaign ended at midnight on
    Thursday with many voters still undecided. Opinion polls put
    the number at between 19 and 31 percent.

    Canvassers making pitches for and against the treaty were
    out in force on Friday in Dublin's main commercial area.

    "I'm canvassing for the 'Yes' vote because I think it is
    important both for Europe and for Ireland. For Europe, because
    the European community needs a change of structure for
    enlargement and needs to evolve and develop. For Ireland,
    because Ireland has done very well out of Europe and because
    contrary to what the 'No' campaigners say, the Nice Treaty is
    a very good deal for Ireland, and because Ireland, which has
    always been a pro European country, will continue to be pro
    active and at the forefront of Europe and a 'Yes' vote will
    ensure
    that tomorrow," said Francis Kieran, an activist with Fianna
    Fail political party, which is pro-Nice.

    Sharon Ellul Bonici, of Malta, who is campaigning on
    behalf of the 'No To Nice' group said: "First of all the Irish
    had a referendum last year. I think it is undemocratic to have
    another referendum within a couple of months. If the Treaty of
    Nice is ratified then the eight member states can govern with
    enhanced cooperation and smaller states, like Ireland, and
    like Malta, will be treated like second class citizens."
    The size of the vote is deemed critical, with a turnout of
    45 percent or more generally thought to favour a 'Yes'
    outcome.

    Partial results from electronic voting districts are
    expected by 2300 GMT on Saturday but a full count will not be
    known until Sunday evening.
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