FRANK SMALL,
Sir, - I appreciated Deaglán de Bréadún's article on Justin Barrett (October 5th) which notes the part played by the No to Nice campaign in highlighting the immigration issue. The exploitation by politicians of fears about large-scale immigration from Eastern Europe has serious implications for the Irish community in Britain.
Irish economic migrants who "flooded" Britain in the 1950s and early 1960s are now in retirement and have distinct health, housing and welfare requirements that need to be addressed. Furthermore, the Irish in Britain still encounter discrimination, although advertisements for accommodation and jobs no longer specify that "no blacks or Irish need apply".
Reports are now appearing in the British media about the hostility, discrimination and racial attacks experienced by immigrants in Ireland. Community activists tackling cases of discrimination against the Irish in Britain face the prospect of a backlash with the host society being less willing to help. Furthermore, the British may become less forthcoming in providing the Irish community with culturally sensitive social services if Ireland is seen as a racist society and the country's politicians are involved in scaremongering about immigation.
The Irish Against Racism Network is urging British organisations inviting speakers from Ireland to address meetings on European Union affairs to boycott both the National Platform and the No to Nice campaign. This suggestion is being made because it was Anthony Coughlan who introduced immigration as an issue into the debate on the Nice Treaty when the National Platform issued a press statement on this matter on July 1st. This noted that 75 million East Europeans would become entitled to work in Ireland. Justin Barrett then went on to amplify this National Platform position.
British organisations wanting access to the No case in relation to the Nice Treaty are being advised by the Irish Against Racism Network to obtain speakers from the Alliance Against Nice because this group has disavowed using immigration as an issue in the debate on Nice. - Yours, etc.,
FRANK SMALL, Co-ordinator, Irish Against Racism Network, Store Street, London WC1.
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Sir, - Should we say Yes or No? Confusion reigns again.
At least, unlike the populations of other member-states, we have the opportunity to express our opinion, as much as we know what it is, on this latest European political project. Perhaps a second rejection of the Nice Treaty may force a re-examination of the concept of democracy so often espoused by political and business leaders.
A good starting point for this necessary undertaking would be a comprehensive understanding of the wisdom contained in the phrase "Tánn daonlathas d'fhéin flaitheas": the true expression of democracy lies in the sovereignty of the individual self at all levels of society. This includes personal liberty through education, the freedom of a family to administer its own affairs, autonomy for local administration, and finally, sovereignty for the nation as a whole.
Such a fundamental re-evaluation of the political philosophy governing not only this State but many other democratic countries of Europe would no doubt come to the conclusion that a union of sovereign nations is the first step towards a sovereign union of nations.
If you still don't know, say so. - Is mise,
BRIAN McENERY, Cardinal Court, Wilton, Cork.
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Sir, - Representatives of the Green Party, including Deirdre de Burca (October 8th) are seeking to misrepresent my views on enhanced co-operation in the Nice Treaty.
By quoting selectively from a paper I wrote six years ago (four years before the Nice Treaty was even drafted) they are trying to legitimise their paranoid arguments. They fail to examine evidence and the actual outcome in the treaties of Amsterdam and Nice.
For the record, what I did in 1996 was to analyse potential pitfalls which might arise if a badly designed system of enhanced co-operation was inserted into an EU treaty. As a result of the extensive debate at that time, a style of co-operation was written into the Nice Treaty that avoids all of the pitfalls against which I warned. The provisions on enhanced co-operation do not in any way create the potential for a two tier Europe or one dominated by the large states.
I draw Cllr de Burca's attention to Article 43j of the Nice Treaty, which says that enhanced co-operation "is open to all the Member States". Now that is very plain language. To interpret this provision as a mechanism of exclusion or one designed to create a two-tier Europe is to ignore what the treaty text says.
There are many other safeguards in the provisions on enhanced co-operation that ensure that Ireland's interests and the interests of all states, large and small, are protected. That is precisely why I am happy to campaign for a Yes vote in next week's referendum.
The Green Party has opposed every single EU treaty, unlike the majority of green parties in Western Europe. How is it that of the 10 green parties with representation in their national parliaments, seven support the Treaty of Nice, as do a majority of Green MEPs. Why are the Irish Greens so out of step and why do they not have the generosity to acknowledge the political achievements of the EU?
I am very disappointed that the Greens have resorted to misusing my academic work. They want to cloud the real issue in this referendum, which is to allow enlargement to happen on time. - Yours, etc.,
BRIGID LAFFAN, Chairperson, Irish Alliance for Europe, Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2.
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Sir, - The shameful collaboration of ICTU, IBEC, the Labour Party and Fine Gael with the Fianna Fáil/PD Coalition Government in its brazen attempt by the use of bribery and intimidation to subvert the will of the people as expressed in the 2001 Nice Referendum represents the greatest threat to democracy since the founding of the State.
It behoves all who respect the will of the people as democratically expressed to vote No in the second Nice referendum, not only to chastise Government and "Opposition", but to vindicate parents, teachers and others who seek to promote understanding and respect for the fact that the will of the people is supreme in a democracy. - Yours, etc.,
Dr CIARÁN Ó COIGLIGH, St Patrick's College of Education,
Dublin City University, Dublin 9.
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Sir, - If a referendum were to be held in Ireland on whether the earth is round or flat, with the Flat Earth Society given just as much television exposure, radio time and newspaper column space to air their misleading views as all the credible scientists, international institutions and establishment figures who have long perceived the earth to be round, would the outcome be a foregone conclusion?
If the current debate on the Nice Treaty is anything to go by, I get the impression that a flat earth campaign involving Patricia McKenna, Gerry Adams and Justin Barrett would stand every chance of convincing a majority of voters that the round earth theory is an elitist conspiracy geared towards creating a two-tier world and facilitating an inevitable invasion of Ireland by ravenous savages and little green men wearing NATO hats.
At least there would be some comfort in knowing that the outcome would reflect the democratic will of the people. - Yours, etc.,
RICHARD CROWE, Academy of European Law, Trier, Germany.
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Sir, - If one is convinced that Yes or No is the right answer, then that is surely the way to vote.
But to vote for something which you do not understand, or about which you have doubts, is surely not the thing to do.
If you have doubts about the treaty, can you rely on those who seek to explain it? - Yours, etc.,
DERMOT C. CLARKE, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin.