McDowell uses the old 'reverse psychology' trick speaking about the referendum in the Dail today.

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday April 21, 2004 15:05 by GreenMan

"people who are racist should vote against it"

After repeated interuptions from the opposition The debate surrounding the upcoming referendum started in the Dail today. In response to a barage of heckles McDowell referred to those involved as cry-babies, "your behaving like a baby' quibbed McDowell when he couldn't get the undivided attention of his playground.

This referendum is being turned on it's head by McDowell who accused those who are opposed to it as the racists. He repeated his belief that it is a situation of "citizenship tourism", the phrase he appears to be very proud of creating.
McDowell went on to give statistics that he believes proves the seriousness of "citizenship tourism", in 2002-2003 there were 163 births to non-nationals in the National maternity Hospital and 269 in the Rotunda, he believes these people have 'No tangible link to the nation or state".
So the approximate birth-rate of non-nationals in 2002-2003 is approx. 432 out of approx. 60,000 nationwide hardly a reason for a referendum.
Pat Rabitte pointed out that McDowells figures are disingenuous because of the inclusion of countries like France, Germany, Britain, America etc..in his statistics of non-national births.McDowell said it was the opposers to the referendum that have brought in the race issue into the debate! You spot the racist, no prizes given