Madam, - Ronan McCrea takes issue with Cardinal Seán Brady's "serious misconceptions" about the EU's approach to religion (Opinion, August 26th). But Mr McCrea's approach is deficient both in its partisan tone and its failure to consider examples that tend to support the cardinal's point of view.
At issue is the EU's willingness to allow diversity of moral viewpoint on issues of particular, though not exclusive, concern to people of faith. Mr McCrea asserts that the former Italian nominee to the European Commission, Rocco Buttiglione, expressed views that were "sexist and homophobic". But the essence of Buttiglione's position was that while, as a Christian, he believed homosexual acts were wrong, he did not believe homosexuality was a crime or that discrimination should be permitted on the basis of sexual orientation.
His ousting from the European Commission line-up therefore represented an extremist form of EU politics that demanded both outward and internal conformity with the agenda of the day. The message was clear: adherence to traditional Christian teaching, even in one's private capacity, would be a bar to high office.
Regarding "gay marriage", Mr McCrea ignores last January's letter from Commissioner Vladimir Spidla which began infringement proceedings against Germany on grounds, inter alia, that its legislation for "registered lifetime partnerships" did not bestow all of the same privileges as marriage.
In April, the European Court of Justice judgment in the Tadao Maruko case found against a private pension scheme which covered spouses, but not civil partners. This ruling effectively removes the right of EU member-states to legislate as they see fit in this sensitive area of family law and will require countries which intend to introduce civil partnerships to put them on an absolutely equal footing with traditional marriage. By interpreting the Employment Directive 2000/78 in this manner the court endorsed the approach of the European Commission and essentially nullified recital 22 of the directive which states that "this Directive is without prejudice to national laws on marital status and the benefits dependent thereon". Ironically, this is the same directive which Mr McCrea cites in support of his claim that EU law already allows for generous exemptions for religious institutions from anti-discrimination measures.
Mr McCrea also overlooks the proceedings initiated by the Commission against Ireland this year, on the basis of the directive. This claimed that our current statutory exemption on grounds of religious ethos was too broad. As is well known, these proceedings were only dropped as a matter of political expediency when the Irish Government pointed out that the Commission's action would be unlikely to assist a Yes vote to Lisbon.
And of course, whether we like it or not, our contributions to the EU's oversees aid budget have been used since 2001 to fund organisations advocating legalised abortion in the developing world. Through its Seventh Framework programme, the EU spends our money on research involving the destruction of human embryos.
To apply Mr McCrea's own words, perhaps we should now be asking "serious questions about the degree to which the EU has reconciled itself to pluralist democracy". - Yours, etc,
Senator RONAN MULLEN,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2.
Madam, - Before we even consider a Lisbon 2, a few important steps need to be taken:
1. Each major fear raised in the Lisbon debate must be addressed (eg the effects on corporation tax; the erosion of autonomy through further EU directives; an EU army; abortion, etc.
2. Bearing in mind that one of the main reasons Lisbon failed was because it wasn't communicated effectively, all major issues should be clarified through a clear and visually effective national TV campaign.
3. We need to explore of legal ways to achieve agreement with our EU partners without a second referendum, if possible. A second referendum would increase voter cynicism.
4. The view that "we have gone far enough with the EU project" needs to be seriously taken into account. "Enough is enough" emerged as a real factor, in Galway at least. - Yours, etc,
Senator FIDELMA HEALY EAMES (Fine Gael),
Oranmore,
Co Galway.