Irish 'Yes' to EU treaty expected

Voters appear to have backed the EU's Lisbon Treaty in the Republic of Ireland's crucial second referendum.

Early returns are showing clear majorities for the "Yes" campaign - just 18 months after voters rejected the treaty first time round.

The treaty, aimed at streamlining decision-making in the 27-nation EU, cannot take effect unless all member states ratify it.

Ireland's foreign minister predicted a convincing win for the "Yes" campaign.

"I am delighted for the country," Micheal Martin told Irish radio on Saturday.

The official result is expected late on Saturday afternoon.

Ireland was the only EU member state to hold a referendum on Lisbon, though there have been calls for referendums in several countries.

The leader of the anti-Lisbon lobby group Libertas, Declan Ganley, said the result marked a "very convincing win" for the "Yes" camp.

Counting started at centres across the country at 0900 (0800 GMT) and results are being relayed to the national count centre in Dublin Castle.

Tallies based on partial results indicate a 60:40 "Yes" vote in some constituencies.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, called it "an important victory for Ireland and for all of Europe".

He said it was just a matter of time until the EU "finally can push the button for the better European co-operation that the Lisbon Treaty will give us".

Turnout was higher than 50% when polling stations closed at 2200 on Friday.

Taoiseach optimistic

Many voters said they had switched from "No" to "Yes" this time around, the BBC's Jonny Dymond reports.

Opinion is thought to have swung behind the "Yes" vote this time because of the severity of the economic downturn, as well as the legal "guarantees" on Irish sovereignty that the EU pledged after the first referendum.

The legally binding "guarantees" state that Lisbon will not affect key areas of Irish sovereignty, such as taxation, military neutrality and family matters such as abortion - significant issues in last year's campaign in Ireland. But they have not yet been attached to the treaty.

The treaty is intended to make EU institutions better suited to the enlarged bloc of 27. The current Nice Treaty was designed for a 15-nation bloc and predates the EU's eastward expansion of 2004.

Opponents see Lisbon as part of a federalist agenda that threatens national sovereignty.

Big 'Yes' swing

Early count centre tallies showed constituencies in the capital Dublin had voted 56% in favour, with early indications from Galway putting the "Yes" vote at 63%, Irish broadcaster RTE reported.

An informal exit poll by the main opposition Fine Gael party estimated a 60% "Yes" vote, RTE said earlier.

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power was offering odds of 1/25 on a "Yes" vote - suggesting it was the overwhelming favourite.

In last year's vote, 46.6% of Irish voted "Yes" and 53.4% "No", and the rejection of the treaty plunged the EU into political gridlock.

The Irish anti-Lisbon group Coir said on Saturday voters appeared to have approved the treaty.

"We are extremely disappointed that the voice of the people was not heard the first time around," said Richard Greene, a spokesman for Coir, which means Justice in English.

Analysts say Irish approval of the Lisbon Treaty would be a big step towards full ratification across the EU. The only other countries yet to ratify the treaty are Poland and the Czech Republic.

Three million people were eligible to vote in the referendum.

All of the republic's major parties campaigned for a "Yes" vote except the nationalist Sinn Fein. The party believes rejecting the treaty would mean a more democratic EU.