Text of Referendum May 31st: here it is

[Spectabilis]

"after subsection 9° of article 29.4 of the Constitution.
The new subsection 10° will state: “The State may ratify the Treaty on Stability, Co-ordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union done at Brussels on the 2nd day of March 2012. No provision of this Constitution invalidates laws enacted, acts done or measures adopted by the State that are necessitated by the obligations of the State under that Treaty or prevents laws enacted, acts done or measures adopted by bodies competent under that Treaty from having the force of law in the State.”"

http://www.merrionstreet.ie/
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0328/1224314008681.html

[ang]

Legitimising constitutionally the already handed over Sovereignty of Ireland.

[Ah Well]

Answer is still NO :)

[Spectabilis]

It's pretty opaque, no?

[Ah Well]

The State may ratify the Treaty

May = The choice to act or not

The Germans won't like that wording - you vill ratify ze Treaty zere is no may about it :mad:

[Spectabilis]

I've read it about five times now, and if it means what I think it means then it is a resounding NO, and I am a Europhile.

If it means anything to people not much bothered with the wording I will be amazed. Unless there is a stellar campaign there will be a very low turnout.

[Kev Bar]

I've read it about five times now, and if it means what I think it means then it is a resounding NO, and I am a Europhile.

If it means anything to people not much bothered with the wording I will be amazed. Unless there is a stellar campaign there will be a very low turnout.

It's legally verbose, but it's a pretty clear message of who is in charge.

[ang]

People really need to remember that the ESM is NOT an EU organisation but is an intergovernmental organisation based in Luxembourg

[PaddyJoe]

I've read it about five times now, and if it means what I think it means then it is a resounding NO, and I am a Europhile.

If it means anything to people not much bothered with the wording I will be amazed. Unless there is a stellar campaign there will be a very low turnout.
Opaque, but as far as I can figure out it means that if we vote yes we will be unable to alter the terms of the Stability Pact through any legal means.
Every economist I've heard so far has said that the pact makes no sense in economic terms because it ties policy makers into a very limited range of options. Some of those have recommended a Yes vote as the least worst choice because of the ESM 'blackmail' clause. That's the position of Stephen Donnelly who said today that we have been well and truly double crossed by the government.
That's not a good enough reason to vote Yes as far as I'm concerned.

[Dr. FIVE]

The answer should be clear for any democrat paying the least bit of attention.

[Kev Bar]

Opaque, but as far as I can figure out it means that if we vote yes we will be unable to alter the terms of the Stability Pact through any legal means.
Every economist I've heard so far has said that the pact makes no sense in economic terms because it ties policy makers into a very limited range of options. Some of those have recommended a Yes vote as the least worst choice because of the ESM 'blackmail' clause. That's the position of Stephen Donnelly who said today that we have been well and truly double crossed by the government.
That's not a good enough reason to vote Yes as far as I'm concerned.

I think you have figured it out perfectly clearly.

[Apjp]

I didn't fall for the election propaganda last year and I won't be scaremongered. Guess I'm not that 'pragmatic'. Being pro-Irish today is to be anti-european we're told. If we don't vote no we cannot consider ourselves as proudly either.