Senior Catholic clergymen have criticised right-wing Catholic organisation Cóir over inaccuracies contained in its anti-Lisbon campaign. Director of Social Justice Ireland, Fr Sean Healy said claims propagated in the group's posters which state: ''€1.84 ...the minimum wage after Lisbon?'' were ''simply untrue''.
Following a slew of criticism from senior ministers, the group associated with Youth Defence, defended the claim saying the figure was calculated from Eurostat figures on the average of the hourly minimum wage rates set by the EU's 12 Accession countries - mostly from Eastern Europe.
No basis
But Fr Healy, who has been responsible for periodical budget analysis and submissions to both European and national commissions on taxation said: ''There is no basis whatsoever for the claim. The country itself sets the wage, not Europe. I always welcome debate on an issue but debate should be based on fact and reality and then we can move forward from there.''
Fr Healy said it was unlikely that Social Justice Ireland would pronounce on the Lisbon Treaty, focusing its energy instead on the forthcoming budget.
The group has also attracted criticism from Jesuit author and Director of the Conversation on Democracy in Ireland, Edmond Grace who accused Cóir of misrepresenting the Pope in its material.
Misrepresented
In a letter to this paper, Jesuit author Fr Edmond Grace said Cóir had misrepresented Pope Benedict by claiming he referred to the Charter of Fundamental Rights as a ''godless document''.
But a spokesperson from the group insisted the Pope as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in his role as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, called the EU Charter a ''Godless'' document that would cause ''moral and social harm to families''.
Last month Cóir was forced by the Irish Jesuits to desist from using the Caravaggio image, The Taking of Christ, in its anti-Lisbon leaflets.
The Jesuits, who own the rights to the image, sent a solicitor's letter to the group, who subsequently apologised.
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