Madam, - The Irish Times/TNS mrbi opinion poll indicating that the Lisbon Treaty has a decent chance of being passed if put to the Irish people in another referendum may give some comfort to our political masters ( The Irish Times, November 17th). However, they would be well advised to remember that their own stock with the electorate has never been lower, thanks to the recent series of misjudgments and bad decisions, particularly on health and education.
Fianna Fáil's satisfaction rating is at its lowest ever, the Greens' main claim to fame is the destabilisation of the car sales industry and the less said the better about the retention of Mary Harney as Minister for Health. If voters are having a change of heart about Lisbon, it is not down to the politicians, but more likely a desire to circle the wagons with our European neighbours in the face of further global financial catastrophe.
If and when another referendum happens, the last things we want to see are lampposts festooned with politicians' faces. The Taoiseach should put away parish pump politics. He is going to have to figure out another way to promote the Lisbon agenda, perhaps by harnessing the persuasive powers of some movers and shakers outside the political arena - if there are enough of them around with enthusiasm for the project.
Then, when Lisbon is done and dusted, the Government can give people something they can really get their teeth into - an early general election. - Yours, etc,
Madam, - I welcome the Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll showing that it will take significant modifications to get the Lisbon Treaty passed - changes which Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin and EU Commission vice-president Margot Wallström have said are not on the table.
This poll clearly illustrates that people will not vote for the Lisbon Treaty unless it is changed significantly. It also shows how much Ireland values having its own commissioner. However, what those polled may not have known is that, unlike articles, annexes and protocols, which are legally binding, declarations are not and in reality will not protect our concerns in the areas of neutrality, abortion and taxation.
Additionally, the central question of the treaty's undemocratic nature was not dealt with. We need to ensure that our key concerns are protected under legally binding provisions before we vote again. - Yours, etc,
Madam, - Aidan Regan's worries (November 18th) about the threat of Libertas and its shadowy, right-wing business connections "stamping a conservative ideological blueprint on Ireland's future in Europe" are well taken. We really should have listened to Charlie McCreevy instead. - Yours, etc,