Irish hold crunch EU treaty vote

Garda officer delivers ballot box to Inishfree Island, Ireland, 30 Sep 09

Irish voters are heading to the polls for a second referendum on the EU's Lisbon Treaty - a vote that may decide the future of long-delayed EU changes.

They previously rejected the treaty in a June 2008 referendum, by a margin of almost 7%. This time opinion polls suggest the Yes camp will win.

The Republic of Ireland is the only one of the EU's 27 member states to put the treaty to a referendum.

Ireland's economy has been hit hard by recession since the last vote was held.

The treaty, aimed at streamlining decision-making in the enlarged bloc, cannot take effect unless all the member states ratify it.

Around three million Irish citizens are eligible to vote on Friday. There will be no exit polling during the day, but turnout estimates will be known once polls close.

Counting will begin on Saturday, with the referendum result not expected until early Saturday afternoon.

Apart from Ireland, the only other countries yet to ratify it are the Czech Republic and Poland. Despite opposition calls for a referendum in the UK, the treaty has been ratified there by parliament.

All of Ireland's major parties campaigned for a Yes vote except the nationalist Sinn Fein. The Yes camp also had some lavish donations from big business.

The repeat referendum is about the same treaty text, but since last year EU leaders have given specific commitments on issues which made some Irish voters nervous last time.

The country will not be forced to legalise abortion, to lose control over taxation, and will not have its neutrality threatened.

Mary Hanafin, Ireland's social and family affairs minister, told the BBC opponents of the treaty had "very good reasons" for voting No in 2008. But she said those concerns had now been addressed, and she expected a different outcome this time around.

"They were concerned about issues that were raised about neutrality, about taxation, about the right to life, about losing our commissioner.

"Our colleagues in Europe have given us legal guarantees on all of those issues, and because they have been addressed and because people are looking to the future, the economy of this country and our place in Europe. We believe it'll be a Yes vote."

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