12 February 2001

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EU budget bullying shows need for Treaty of Nice `No' vote

Sinn Féín has criticised today's censure by the EU.

Sinn Fein TD  Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin described it as ``part of an attempt to bully the Irish Government into changing its Budget and cutting public spending''.

The Cavan/Monaghan TD said that today's EU action reinforced the need to answer ``the EU hierarchy'' with a NO vote in the planned referendum on the Treaty of Nice.  He said:

``Successive governments have already surrendered too many powers and control of our economy to the EU without having the EU super states tell us how we should

``Under the Treaty of Nice, surrender of economic sovereignty is being speeded up. That is why the Treaty should be rejected in the planned referendum. Nice is another major step in the creation of a federal EU state with its own currency, its own army and its own central - but undemocratic - government.''  ENDS

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