Ryanair News

 
News Release
29.09.09

Ryanair's Final Call for "YES TO EUROPE" Vote

Ryanair, Ireland’s favourite airline, today (29th Sept), for the final time called on all Irish voters to turn out on 2nd October next and vote “Yes to Europe”.  Ryanair currently employs over 6,500 people – including citizens of all 26 EU countries – many of them in Ireland, and believes it is vital to Ireland’s economic development and future prosperity that the voters of Ireland give a resounding “Yes to Europe” in the 2nd October referendum.  Ryanair believes that Europe has been enormously beneficial for Ireland and reiterated the following examples:
 
1.      Without the EU’s policy on competition and deregulation, neither Ryanair nor the low fares air travel model would have survived or thrived in Europe.  Ryanair’s low fares have been the bedrock for the extraordinary growth and development of Ireland’s tourism industry over the past 10 years.
2.      Much of Ireland’s success in winning foreign direct investment over the past 20 years is directly related to Ireland’s membership of the EU and the Euro.  Ireland must continue to be at the heart of Europe and not on its periphery.
3.      During the recent banking and financial crisis, Ireland’s membership of the Euro meant that Europe and the European Central Bank (ECB) came to the rescue of the Irish banks and the Irish economy and prevented an Iceland style collapse of the Irish banks and Ireland’s public finances.
4.      Without Europe and the ECB, Ireland’s economy would be run by our incompetent politicians, our inept civil service and the greedy trade union bosses, who have over the last decade – through social partnership – shattered Ireland’s competitiveness by protecting the narrow vested interests of the public sector trade unions while promoting an explosion of expensive, useless, self sustaining quangos.
 
 
Speaking today Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:
 
“It is time the Irish people wake up to the fact that we are bankrupt and that we need Europe more than Europe needs us.  I believe it is vital that every Irish voter on 2nd October next votes in the referendum and votes “Yes to Europe”.  Ireland’s membership of the European Union and the Euro has transformed our economy and the lives of millions of Irish people today.
 
“Ireland’s future success depends on being at the heart of Europe and our membership of the Euro.  The European Central Bank came to Ireland’s rescue last year when the combination of appalling mismanagement by Bertie Ahern’s government over the past decade left Ireland hopelessly unprepared for the effect of the property/banking crisis and the recession which would, if it were not for Europe’s help, have caused a collapse of the Irish economy.  The difference between Iceland and Ireland was not one letter, but rather Ireland’s membership of the European Union and the Euro. 
 
                                                                                                                 
“Without Europe and the Euro, the Irish economy would be run by our incompetent politicians, our inept civil service and the greedy public sector trade union bosses, who through social partnership have in recent years destroyed Ireland’s competitiveness, created an epidemic of useless quangos and feathered the nests of the public sector at the expense of ordinary consumers in Ireland.  I believe that Ireland must vote “Yes to Europe” on 2nd October; otherwise our economic future will be destroyed by Government and Civil Service mismanagement and the narrow vested interests of the public sector trade unions.
 
“When one looks at the lobby of losers in the “no” campaign, led by economic illiterates like Sinn Fein, the UK Independence Party (UKIP), the Socialist Party and Declan Ganley it seems clear to me that Ireland should vote “Yes to Europe” this Friday and I sincerely hope that we will.”


Yes to Europe

 

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