Madam, – On one side of the Lisbon referendum debate stand the combined forces of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Labour Party, the PDs – the “Combined Political Forces” – along with the main business organisations, or “Combined Business Forces”. On the other side is the Sinn Féin David, opposing Lisbon on its own but for a handful of zealots, some of them known to be rational, but many the usual naysayers, refuseniks and malcontents, including those of the anarchist tradition, who have been preaching for the past 30 years that Europe will ruin us.
It isn’t surprising that Sinn Féin opposes Lisbon: it has always opposed Europe and, as its very name suggests, believes we can go it alone in perhaps almost everything.
Are we to believe that the Combined Political Forces are engaged in a gigantic conspiracy against the Irish people, while aware of the loss of sovereignty that Lisbon brings? That the Combined Business Forces support their own destruction through EU-enforced tax changes?
To take it further, are we also to believe that the churches of Europe and their leaders, including the Pope, choose to remain silent, knowing of the coming moral destruction? Are we to follow the political, moral and economic lead of Sinn Féin, a party singularly unfitted to give such leadership and that now ironically professes itself to be anti-war (and all violence?) and warns of the military dangers attaching to post-Lisbon Europe?
What a no-brainer! – Yours, etc,
PATRICK DUFFY,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Madam, – Although a committed supporter of European unity, I must take issue with two letters of May 1st that appear to mistake where the real power lies in the EU. Neal Lamb has an idealistic view of the Commission as an “independent EU institution” and Michael McLoughlin believes “all EU decisions are taken by elected people in the European Parliament”. Fine in theory, but not in practice.
Who, I wonder does the Taoiseach call when something goes wrong? One of our MEPs? I doubt it. I am sure he calls the person he put into high office and who has power: the Irish Commissioner. And of course that is more effective.
I voted against the Nice Treaty because it paved the way for reducing Irish presence on the Commission (and, incidentally, for expediting the entry of the East European applicants before they were economically ready). I will vote against Lisbon for roughly the same reasons. And, no, it won’t be the end of us if we force the drafters back to the board.
I would have very little in common with Ms Mary Lou McDonald or her party, but I believe she sees the point here, and she is an MEP. – Yours, etc,
W.J.MURPHY,
Malahide,
Co Dublin.
Madam, – Mary Lou McDonald MEP (or perhaps her ghost-writer at Sinn Féin head office) seems to be highly misinformed about the Lisbon Treaty and, more worryingly given her office, about the nature and mandate of the European Commission under the existing Treaties (Opinion, April 29th). In relation to the loss of a Commissioner for five out of every 15 years – which will apply to all member-states – she tells us that “when the Commission is deciding on crucial issues, Irish representatives will not even be in the room. This is a real concern for many, particularly the farming community.”
This comment shows quite a glaring misunderstanding of the nature of the EU legislative process. The Commission does not “decide” on issues, in the normal sense of a cabinet government as we have come to understand it in Ireland. Under Articles 211-219 of the Treaties, the Commission can only propose legislation and act as an enforcer of existing treaties.
The only “deciding” that is done in Brussels is by the Council of Ministers in conjunction with the European Parliament – bodies at which there will always be Irish representatives, regardless of who sits on the Commission. And further to this, if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified, the Dáil will have the power to raise a “yellow card” to any Commission proposals which it feels may compromise Ireland’s interests.
So, regardless of whether or not we have a representative on the Commission, there will be Irish input into decisions on EU legislation on three different levels if Lisbon is ratified – which actually increases Irish input into the decision-making process, rather than decreasing. I am surprised that Ms McDonald, as a member of one of the institutions involved in the process, does not seem to be aware of this. – Yours, etc,
BARRY WALSH,
Brooklawn,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.