Madam, – There can be little doubt that the European Community has done its best to indicate its willingness to respond to the Irish people’s concerns regarding the Lisbon Treaty. Nevertheless, can we trust politicians who are not directly accountable to us, especially if they are placed under pressure?
After all, we understood that any proposal to change the European constitution would have to be ratified by all of the countries in the Union, otherwise it would be rejected. Twice now a No vote has been sidelined by a second “go” at ratification. People can hardly be blamed for introducing the concept of “Neverendum” to describe a process which, regardless of guarantees to the contrary, doesn’t take No for an answer, which continues until a proposal is revisited to the point when the power brokers obtain the response that they want. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – It is perverse of Government ministers to insist that all issues have been identified in the so-called Lisbon guarantees. The criminalisation of Irish fishermen remains a burning issue in our coastal communities which will bear upon the prospects of a second referendum.
The manifest unfairness of national policy towards Irish fishermen also has the potential more widely to colour citizens’ reactions. This potential is likely to be vigorously pursued in the coming months.
Fishermen don’t have a problem with the principle of the Lisbon Treaty.
But until licences are issued where investment has occurred, until quotas are fair, and until breaches by foreign vessels in our waters are dealt with as determinedly as Irish fishermen are hounded by Irish authorities, it is a fair bet that they will agitate against it. – Yours, etc,