Madam, – Is the result of last Friday’s referendum technically invalid, because it was named the 28th Amendment again, instead of the 29th Amendment? The 28th Amendment was rejected by the people in 2008.
My query arises because, on reading Bunreacht na hÉireann (even the online version), I find there is no 12th Amendment, no 24th Amendment (Treaty of Nice Mark I), and no 25th Amendment, as these were all rejected by the people; and no 22nd Amendment because it was rejected by the Oireachtas. Treaty of Nice Mark II subsequently became the 26th Amendment.
If one follows this system of nomenclature, then 28 should have been skipped, just like 12, 22, 24 and 25 were, and this should have been 29.
Re-run, anybody? – Yours, etc,
A chara, – Nick McCall’s ominous predictions about the EU under the treaty of Lisbon are nothing more than an ironic illustration why the No side lost (October 5th). Far-fetched claims such as the EU attacking our public services and engaging in “commodity wars” scared some people, but as the debate progressed these claims appeared to most to be baseless and nothing more than irrational paranoia. Thankfully pragmatism prevailed and the conspiracy theories lost this time around. – Is mise,
Madam, – Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone. It’s with O’Leary . . . – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Let me preface my comments by saying I, for one, am delighted with the result of the recent referendum. Paul Griffin (October 5th) asks, “Am I the only person who refuses to believe that a nation can appear to change its mind so convincingly in so short a time?”.
I would say the Irish people “appear” to have changed their minds perhaps because they finally saw through the scaremongering tactics of the No side and realised that a more streamlined and effective EU can only be good for this country. If Mr Griffin still has difficulty believing this, perhaps he could rely on that old Clinton line of reasoning to put his mind at ease: it’s the economy, stupid! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The Government should introduce a measure for Ireland similar to the Lisbon Treaty’s citizens’ initiative whereby at least a million EU citizens from several member states could request the EU Commission to bring forward proposals on a particular issue.
Based on the Lisbon model, about 10,000 Irish citizens from, say, six counties, could oblige the Cabinet or Dáil to consider an issue, or the Government to hold a referendum. Apparently, such a proposal was included in a draft of the 1922 Constitution of the Free State. Citizens’ initiatives operate in Switzerland, New Zealand, Estonia and the US. A measure along these lines might help bridge the yawning gap between our politicians and the electorate. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Should we now have a referendum on granting independence to Donegal North East and South West? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – It is a bright beautiful October morning in Dublin and I have to read this: “The Government should quickly propose the new Irish EU commissioner and begin lobbying for a good post, which can help rebrand Ireland’. (Lisbon Referendum Analysis, October 5th) Rebrand! The Irish people are not a brand and I, my partner and the child we are expecting are not ingredients listed on the packet! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – It seems that all those who were campaigning on the Lisbon Treaty, both for and against, want Ireland to be “at the heart of Europe”. It’s a catchy phrase, with as many meanings as there were campaigners using it.
But there is an issue, bigger than Europe, on which there should be no disagreement. On December 6th 2006, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). An Irish person started the campaign and many other Irish men and women, including people with disabilities, played a major part in the lobbying and negotiations which resulted in the convention.
It has been signed by 142 States but it only becomes operative in those that also ratify it. So far 70, including 10 EU member states, have done so.
Irish people have a proud record in supporting human rights at international level. I have no doubt we will eventually get round to ratifying the CRPD, but why not now, or better still on December 3rd, 2009, International Day of Persons with Disabilities? That way we would begin to live up to our stated aspiration of being “at the heart” of what we value and not be perceived as always reluctantly bringing up the rear end. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Uinseann Mac Thomais is right (October 5th). My own moment of clarity, however, was upon hearing that Áine Ní Chonaill was calling for a No vote.
The prospect of sharing the same platform as her Immigration Control Platform, the UK Independence Party and British Conservative Party was simply too much to stomach. – Yours, etc,