Madam, - Regardless of the outcome of the referendum on June 12th, one thing is very clear. The State and its political parties will have to put an end to this highly unsatisfactory practice of providing citizens with a crash course in EU affairs every few years when a European treaty requires popular ratification, and then abandoning the subject until the next treaty referendum approaches.
This is not the way to engage Irish citizens with the European Union. Over time it has led to their growing sense of alienation from what might otherwise be seen as a very progressive transnational political project - and one that has conferred considerable benefits on the citizens of its member-states.
A lack of public familiarity with the EU and its institutions has also meant that people become very confused and uncertain when exaggerated claims and counter-claims are made in the heat of an EU treaty debate.
Many valuable proposals have been made concerning the European Union and how its institutions could be made more accessible and relevant to citizens. Most of these stress the importance of providing people with a continuous stream of information, awareness-raising and education about the EU - not just when a treaty referendum is imminent.
While the National Forum on Europe has done a very admirable job within its remit, a much wider process needs to be put in place.
Is it too much to hope that such a strategy might be implemented in this country in the coming years? I am confident that there are other politicians who, like me, dread the thought of having to face future EU treaty referendums and to persuade poorly informed, apathetic voters to support important changes to the EU. Let's prioritise the issue, and find ways to ensure that our citizens become increasingly informed on, and involved with, EU matters. We all stand to benefit. - Yours, etc,
Senator DEIRDRE DE BURCA
(Green Party),
Eglinton Road,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.
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Madam, - I'm pro-Europe. I think it's a great idea - but I haven't a clue whether to vote Yes or No in the referendum. The No camp is coming up with reasons why we should all reject the Lisbon Treaty. The Yes camp is. . .what? I got a circular through the door about the referendum and I'm still none the wiser. Euro-speak doesn't cut the mustard with your average voter.
If I am to vote Yes, I need somebody to tell me, in plain language, what the treaty is about and what the consequences of Yes or No actually are. So far, I'm only hearing No in anything approaching simple terms - and I'm tempted. - Yours, etc,
JIM HALLIGAN,
Eaton Wood Court,
Shankill,
Dublin 18.
****
Madam, - I applaud Anthony Coughlan for his consistency, if nothing else. He tells us that the Lisbon Treaty "would give the post-Lisbon union full legal personality separate from and superior to its member states" (Opinion, May 16th). However, during the debate on the Amsterdam Treaty, almost 10 years ago to the day, Mr Coughlan wrote in your newspaper "The [Amsterdam] treaty gives the European Union legal personality. . .separate from that of its member-states" ( The Irish Times, May 19th, 1998). Does anyone else hear an echo?
Is Mr Coughlan's assertion about the legal personality of the Union an admission on his part that he was wrong about the implications of Amsterdam 10 years ago? And if so, why should anyone believe anything he has to say on Lisbon?
The debate on Lisbon has been characterised by the recycling of arguments by the No side from their previous failed campaigns. The fact that Mr Coughlan has had the audacity to copy and paste directly from his previous articles in your newspaper highlights the absolute paucity of the opposition to the treaty. - Yours, etc,
BARRY WALSH,
Brooklawn,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.
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Madam, - John Walsh (May 17th) questions the validity of information contained in Cóir's leaflet on the Lisbon Treaty and claims there is no legal basis for saying that the right to decide our social laws will be seriously affected by the treaty.
He is wrong; the charter attached to the Lisbon Treaty is legally binding across all EU member-states if Lisbon is passed and Declaration 17 on primacy states for the first time that EU law supersedes the Irish Constitution. This lethal combination means that it will be the European Court of Justice, not the Irish people, who will decide on matters as important as abortion, defining marriage, and other issues.
As reported in The Irish Times, leading constitutional lawyer Gerard Hogan has said that the charter could prompt "the most profound change" in relation to the protection of fundamental rights since the adoption of the Irish Constitution and that the Irish Supreme Court would be "eclipsed by the charter".
Cóir's posters have already produced a rant from Labour TD Joe Costello and others precisely because they are imaginative and eye-catching, especially in comparison with the insipid offerings from the political parties. We see no reason to use up half our available poster space to advertise ourselves - something Fine Gael and Labour have done to the detriment of their campaigns.
Our posters wish to encourage debate on the Treaty; they are not an electioneering stunt. Since we had already distributed 700,000 leaflets, held 18 public meetings and launched a website we are hardly campaigning in secret.
The tittering and puerile remarks at the end of Mr Walsh's missive are a reflection of his inadequacies in arguing his point and not worthy of any further comment. - Yours, etc,
RICHARD GREENE,
Cóir,
Capel Street,
Dublin 1.
****
Madam, - A bit of performance art by monkeys engaged in street acting says more about the scriptwriters than the dramatic picture presented. When it comes to the Lisbon Treaty, it is important that we are not misled by the Nos. Their use of a monkey ménage à trois to present their case is a distasteful misuse of fellow primates and an insult to all us humans by insinuating monkeys are the more intelligent of the species.
As a former president of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, I am calling for an end to this monkey business and to the unfair and discriminatory highlighting of their support for a No vote. When June 12th comes, ask yourself this important question: would you rely on the judgment of a monkey to determine your vote? Stand up for our monkeys' reputation and vote Yes for Lisbon both in protest against this cruel and inhuman poster campaign and in the hope that the monkeys' next performance will be both more honest and more inspirational. - Yours, etc,
ALAN SHATTER TD,
Fine Gael Front Bench Spokesperson on Children,
Dáil Éireann,
Dublin 2.
****
Madam, - One of the anti-Lisbon-treaty posters depicts a chimpanzee in the "three monkeys" poses. If these people are incapable in telling the difference between a monkey and an ape I'm not surprised they're concerned about the evolution of the EU. - Yours, etc,
BARRY DEVON,
Londonbridge Road,
Dublin 4.
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Madam, - In launching Sinn Féin's campaign against the Lisbon Treaty, Gerry Adams put particular emphasis on the loss of Ireland's automatic right to an EU Commissioner. However Mr Adams appears to be unaware that this is already provided for under protocol 4 of the Nice Treaty which was accepted by the Irish people in 2002: "The number of Members of the Commission shall be less than the number of Member States. The Members of the Commission shall be chosen according to a rotation system based on the principle of equality, the implementing arrangements for which shall be adopted by the Council, acting unanimously."
As Mr Adams is obviously as uninformed as he was during the last general election, it is hard to take his campaign seriously. - Yours, etc,
KEVIN BARRETT,
Kilmainham Square,
Dublin 8.