Libertas Institute Limited
Encyclopedia
The Libertas Institute is a lobby group that along with others successfully campaigned for a "no" vote in the 2008 referendum in Ireland
on the Treaty of Lisbon
.
The charter was signed by the following:
The deadline for submitting a copy of its 2008 bank statement to SIPO was March 31, 2009.
Expenditure during the Lisbon I campaign was estimated at "approximately €800,000", "exceeded €1 million", or "€1.3 million", or "€1.8 million".
which imposed a donations limit of €5,348 per donor per year, rising to €6,348.69 per donor per year in 2009, imposes a limit of €126.97 for any given anonymous donation, and disallows any donation from any non-Irish citizens resident outside the island of Ireland.
and stated that they expected to spend in the region of €1.5m on the campaign.
The campaign targeted wavering moderates, the most critical votes for the referendum. The campaign was joined by businessman Ulick McEvaddy
on April 20, 2008. Activities undertaken by Libertas during the referendum were as follows:
Several politicians, including Minister of State for European Affairs
Dick Roche
, clashed with the group's campaign stance
but the Sunday Business Post reported that the group's efforts at projecting its warnings about the treaty in the media were "hugely successful".
The referendum
was held on 12 June 2008
and defeated by 53.4% to 46.6%, with a turnout of 53.1%.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
on the Treaty of Lisbon
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
.
Mission statement
Its mission statement was "...to initiate and provoke enlightened discussion on the European Union, its relevance to its member states and peoples and its role in World affairs having regard to our shared values of peace, democracy, individual liberty and free markets..."Founders
The founders of the Libertas Institute were:| Founder | Notes |
|---|---|
| Declan Ganley | Associated with Ganley Group and Rivada Networks Rivada Networks Rivada Networks is a US-based defence contracting firm specialising in the provision of telecommunications systems to the military, police and emergency services in disaster situations. It has recently secured United States military contracts worth $240 million. Its current CEO and chairman is... . |
| Naoise Nunn | Associated with Rivada Networks Rivada Networks Rivada Networks is a US-based defence contracting firm specialising in the provision of telecommunications systems to the military, police and emergency services in disaster situations. It has recently secured United States military contracts worth $240 million. Its current CEO and chairman is... . |
| James O'Reilly | Associated with Ganley Group and Rivada Networks Rivada Networks Rivada Networks is a US-based defence contracting firm specialising in the provision of telecommunications systems to the military, police and emergency services in disaster situations. It has recently secured United States military contracts worth $240 million. Its current CEO and chairman is... . |
| Norrie Keane | Associated with Rivada Networks Rivada Networks Rivada Networks is a US-based defence contracting firm specialising in the provision of telecommunications systems to the military, police and emergency services in disaster situations. It has recently secured United States military contracts worth $240 million. Its current CEO and chairman is... . |
| Martina Higgins | Associated with Ganley Group and Rivada Networks Rivada Networks Rivada Networks is a US-based defence contracting firm specialising in the provision of telecommunications systems to the military, police and emergency services in disaster situations. It has recently secured United States military contracts worth $240 million. Its current CEO and chairman is... . |
| Seán Ganley | Brother of Declan. |
| Dr. Chris Coughlan | Later president of the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland |
Personnel
Libertas Institute personnel included:| Name | Job(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Declan Ganley | President | Founder |
| Naoise Nunn | Executive Director | No longer in post |
| David Cochrane | Publishing Director, later Campaign Manager |
Irish political blogger and editor on Politics.ie. Associated with Rivada Networks Rivada Networks Rivada Networks is a US-based defence contracting firm specialising in the provision of telecommunications systems to the military, police and emergency services in disaster situations. It has recently secured United States military contracts worth $240 million. Its current CEO and chairman is... . |
| John McGuirk | Communications Director | No longer in post |
| Caroline Simons | Senior Spokesperson |
Charter
The Libertas Charter (archived here) defined what was considered to be Europe's traditional values and influences, asserted what citizens' rights and responsibilities were, acknowledged the EU's role since WWII, stated that the present EU's structure was inherently undemocratic and unaccountable, and pledged to create a popular movement to debate Europe's future.The charter was signed by the following:
- Declan J. Ganley
- Naoise Nunn
- Dr. Constantin GurdgievConstantin GurdgievConstantin Gurdgiev is a Russian economist based in Dublin, Ireland. He is a former editor of Business & Finance Magazine and a regular contributor to Tonight with Vincent Browne on TV3.-Education:...
- Paul MacDonnell
- Carlos Rodriguez
- Dr. Jana Hybaskowa, MEP
- Ivan Gabal
- Dr. Chris Coughlan
- Professor Roger Downer
- Artur Osuchowski
- Stephen Nolan
- Dr. Eamonn Conway
- Eamonn Cregan
- Gerard Lawless
- Diego Solana
- Francis O'Flaherty
- James O'Reilly
- David Cochrane
- Keith O’Grady
- Fiona Fallon
- Zoltan Angyal
- Professor Antonio Bar Cendón
- Michael McCann
Press releases
The first Libertas Institute press release archived on the Wayback Machine dates to 22 June 2007. It concerned French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the Treaty of Lisbon's clause regarding free and undistorted competition: an article by Ganley dated July 16, 2007 in Business Week covered similar themes. The Libertas Institute continued to release press releases during its existence.Commonality with other organizations
Libertas is registered at Moyne Park, Tuam, County Galway along with other organisations associated with Libertas and/or Declan Ganley. A list of organizations associated with Libertas.eu and/or Declan Ganley is given here.Expenditure
2007 expenditure by Libertas Institute Ltd according to its accounts was:| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 2007-08 | Room hire in the Davenport Hotel to discuss strategy |
| 2007-12 | Room hire, Merrion Hotel, Dublin for a press conference |
| 2007-12 | Photocall & billboard outside Merrion Hotel, Dublin |
| 2007-12 | Hire of PR firm Bracken PR, employer of John McGuirk |
The deadline for submitting a copy of its 2008 bank statement to SIPO was March 31, 2009.
Expenditure during the Lisbon I campaign was estimated at "approximately €800,000", "exceeded €1 million", or "€1.3 million", or "€1.8 million".
Income
The Libertas Institute had a loan facility with Ganley, and by October 3, 2008 it had used €200,000 of this money. Since January 1, 2008, it also had the facility to receive public donations via its website. Ganley and his wife (Delia Mary Ganley, née Paterek) also donated the maximum amount of €6,300 each. Libertas stated that its donors were "100% Irish".Regulation
The Libertas Institute was a "third party" for the purposes of political fundraising. Regulation of such is monitored by the Standards in Public Office CommissionStandards in Public Office Commission
The Standards in Public Office Commission is an independent body established in December 2001 by the Irish Government under the Standards in Public Office Act, 2001...
which imposed a donations limit of €5,348 per donor per year, rising to €6,348.69 per donor per year in 2009, imposes a limit of €126.97 for any given anonymous donation, and disallows any donation from any non-Irish citizens resident outside the island of Ireland.
Aims
The Libertas Institute advocated a European Energy Innovation Fund intended to licence and fund carbon-neutral energy producers, the funding deriving from auctions of CO2 emissions allowances. It also deprecated the Treaty of Lisbon and advocated a "no" vote in Lisbon I, the first Irish referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon.Libertas in the Lisbon I campaign
On 12 March 2008, Libertas launched a "no" campaign called "Facts, not politics"and stated that they expected to spend in the region of €1.5m on the campaign.
The campaign targeted wavering moderates, the most critical votes for the referendum. The campaign was joined by businessman Ulick McEvaddy
Ulick McEvaddy
Ulick McEvaddy, a former Irish army officer and native of Swinford County Mayo.In 1984, along with his brother Desmond McEvaddy, he established Omega Air Inc; a Washington-based US Corporation that specialises in the sale and lease of aircraft. Omega Air has become one of the biggest supplier and...
on April 20, 2008. Activities undertaken by Libertas during the referendum were as follows:
| Date | Note |
|---|---|
| 2007-12 to 2008-06 | Libertas distribute 35,000 copies of "The Lisbon Treaty, the Readable Version", a text edited by MEP Jens-Peter Bonde Jens-Peter Bonde Jens-Peter Rossen Bonde is a former Member of the European Parliament with the June Movement. He resigned as an MEP in May 2008. Bonde was elected to the European Parliament in the first election in 1979 with the People's Movement against the EU. He has been re-elected 6 times consecutively... and produced by the Foundation for EU Democracy, the political foundation at European level Political foundation at European level A European political foundation, formally a political foundation at European level, informally a Eurofoundation, is a research and advocacy organization close to, but independent from a Europarty. They are funded by the European Parliament... affiliated to the EUDemocrats EUDemocrats The EUDemocrats – Alliance for a Europe of Democracies – is a eurorealist alliance of parties and movements from 15 European countries. It operates as a transnational party at a European level , according to Regulation No 2004/2003... , the political party at European level headed at the time by MEP Jens-Peter Bonde Jens-Peter Bonde Jens-Peter Rossen Bonde is a former Member of the European Parliament with the June Movement. He resigned as an MEP in May 2008. Bonde was elected to the European Parliament in the first election in 1979 with the People's Movement against the EU. He has been re-elected 6 times consecutively... |
| 2007‑12‑13 | Ganley speaks at press conference, Dublin. |
| 2008‑04‑21 | Ganley campaigns in Castlebar, Sligo and Letterkenny. |
| 2008‑04‑28 | John McGuirk defends on the radio Ganley's rejection of the CAP Common Agricultural Policy The Common Agricultural Policy is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. It represents 48% of the EU's budget, €49.8 billion in 2006 .... . |
| 2008‑05‑12 | Ganley spoke at a Forum on Europe regional meeting, Hotel Meyrick, Galway. |
| 2008‑05‑28 | Ganley takes part in a televised debate and states that the Treaty of Lisbon allows the detention of three-year-old children |
| 2008‑05‑29 | Ganley campaigns in Sligo. |
| 2008‑05‑31 | Ganley speaks at "The Lisbon Treaty - a Modest Proposal or a Faustian Pact" debate. |
| 2008‑06‑02 | Press call, Buswells Hotel, Dublin. Ganley stated that a "yes" vote would jeopardize Ireland's corporate tax and that "a No vote would allow the Government to negotiate a 'better deal' for Ireland". |
| 2008‑06‑09 | Libertas attend European movement debate in ESB, Dublin |
| 2008‑06‑09 | Libertas canvass in Tallaght |
| 2008‑06‑09 | Libertas attend Rock The Vote debate, Dublin |
| 2008‑06‑09 | Ganley appears on RTÉ's Questions and Answers. |
| 2008‑06‑09 | Ganley buys tickets to Brussels for Brian Cowen Brian Cowen Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May... , Enda Kenny Enda Kenny Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since... and Eamon Gilmore Eamon Gilmore Eamon Gilmore is an Irish Labour Party politician and the current Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has been the Leader of the Labour Party since September 2007, and a Teachta Dála for the Dún Laoghaire constituency since 1989, first with the Workers' Party of Ireland, and... |
| 2008‑06‑12 | Ganley spoke at a public meeting in Ranelagh. |
Several politicians, including Minister of State for European Affairs
Minister of State (with special responsibility for European Affairs)
The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Ireland with special responsibility for European Affairs. The Minister works together with the senior Minister in this department...
Dick Roche
Dick Roche
Dick Roche is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Wicklow constituency, and also served in Seanad Éireann from 1992 to 1997.-Early and private life:...
, clashed with the group's campaign stance
but the Sunday Business Post reported that the group's efforts at projecting its warnings about the treaty in the media were "hugely successful".
The referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
was held on 12 June 2008
and defeated by 53.4% to 46.6%, with a turnout of 53.1%.