Madam, - Proinsias de Rossa MEP (April 29th) suggests that Sinn Féin believes "nothing is right about the EU", that our policy is motivated by "clapped-out olde world nationalism" and that our "real objective" is withdrawal. Such claims are laughable.
I have had a number of debates with Mr De Rossa on this subject and each time he avoids the issues involved. His attacks on Sinn Féin's EU policy are simply a way of avoiding the real debate about the content and implications of the Constitution. His letter is yet another example of this. Could it be that his avoidance of the real issues is due to the weakness of his arguments on the alleged benefits of the constitution?
Minister for European Affairs Noel Treacy (April 8th) is quite wrong in describing the process of drafting the proposed EU Constitution during the Convention on the Future of Europe as "an unprecedentedly open exercise". While it is true that many organisations, MEPs, members of national parliaments, civil servants and other individuals contributed to the debate at the convention, the actual work of drafting the text took place exclusively within the Praesidium. Many MEPs from all political groups within the European Parliament, both for and against the constitution, have been highly critical of the lack of transparency and accountability of the drafting process.
On Minister Treacy's substantive point that the constitution gives "national parliaments a greater role than ever before" I would beg to differ. While there are some additional mechanisms for providing member-states with greater information, there is no meaningful mechanism through which individual member-states can object to or amend EU legislation. Indeed the ending of the national veto on a significant number of areas and the expansion of policy in areas such as the internal market, justice and home affairs and common foreign and defence policies mean that national parliaments will have less of a say in EU decisions that will affect the lives of Irish citizens. If Mr Treacy believes that this is in the "national interest" then clearly he and I disagree.
With reference to Tony Brown's letter (April 13th) I would like to make two brief remarks. It is my understanding that at the final stages of the convention process there were 1,000 amendments on the table which were never voted on, and the substance of those amendments was not incorporated into the constitution in any way. A number of MEPs who were involved in the convention, some of whom wanted to support the constitution, are on the public record stating that this was the case. Mr Brown says I am wrong on this. Maybe so. But what is clear is that the accounts given by Mr Browne and these MEPs are at variance.
I would like to welcome this debate in the pages of The Irish Times on what is a very important matter for all concerned. Sinn Féin is looking forward to participating in a number of regional debates being organised by the National Forum on Europe in the coming months on the issue of the EU Constitution. - Yours, etc,
MARY LOU McDONALD MEP, Sinn Féin Chairperson, Parnell Square, Dublin 1.