Madam, - Dr Gavin Barrett (March 7th) finds the Lisbon Treaty "capable of being understood". But he is, after all, a senior lecturer in European law. For the rest of us - "laypersons", he calls us - he says that "guidelines" are available.
Dr Barrett forgets that in a referendum we do not vote as legal experts, who understand, or laypersons, who need guidance. We vote as equal citizens. Citizens should not be asked to vote for documents they cannot read and understand.
Everyone can read the Irish Constitution and fully understand it. What exactly, in clear language, are the ways in which this Constitution is to be amended in the forthcoming referendum? - Yours, etc,
SEAN McDONAGH,
The Court,
Raheny,
Dublin 5.
Madam, - I have long been an admirer of Miriam Lord's Dáil Sketch. In a world of spin, her wit and incisiveness provide both entertainment and information to the reader. I was, therefore, very surprised at her somewhat over-the-top attack (March 6th) on Lucinda Creighton TD.
Ms Creighton is an able, hard-working deputy who holds strong views and is not afraid to articulate them. I find this to be an admirable and welcome trait in a political world where, increasingly, nobody seems to say anything that cannot be interpreted in several different ways depending on which way the wind is blowing.
I hope that Ms Lord will quickly regain her normal sense of humour and proportion and recognise that Fine Gael has given Lucinda Creighton a job to do in promoting a Yes vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum. I think it is reasonable to call for a definite voting date when scheduling a campaign, the result of which is by no means a foregone conclusion.
Finally, I would like to congratulate you on the new presentation of The Irish Times. It is my newspaper of first choice for many years and now it has been improved. Terrific! - Yours, etc,
Cllr EDIE WYNNE (FG),
Terenure Road West,
Dublin 6W.
Madam, - Bertie Ahern's recent threat to linger on as Taoiseach until 2012, like an unloved cuckoo in the nest, has left me - and many of my fellow chatterers in south Co Dublin - with no alternative.
We will vote against the Lisbon treaty, for two reasons.
1. Since the Treaty is incomprehensible anyway (as pointed out by Vincent Browne in his column of March 5th), we rely on guidance from those whom we trust. We don't trust Mr Ahern. If he says vote Yes, we will naturally vote No.
2. More importantly, we feel this is the only form of protest open to us. Here we have a man who has mumbled, fumbled and dissembled his way through explanations of his unorthodox finances and who refuses to concede he has done anything wrong. The opposition seems toothless.
There are some who will say we are putting narrow political considerations before the European ideal. To this we say: when faced with a choice between party political interest and the national interest Fianna Fáil invariably plumps for the former. Therefore we are merely, as Martin Mansergh memorably shrieked, "respecting our betters". All those in favour vote No. - Yours, etc,
MAURICE O'DONOGHUE,
Acorn Road,
Dublin 16.
Madam, - I note that the Government is to distribute information on the Lisbon Treaty to all households in Ireland.
I hope it has better luck with this than with the millennium tree, the nuclear fall-out pills and the Rules of the Road, because I am still waiting for those.
Maybe they will all come together! - Yours, etc,
HUGH FORTUNE,
Blackstick Lane,
Gorey,
Co Wexford.