Madam, - I am undecided about how to vote in the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. I believe the onus is on the Yes campaign to show beyond a reasonable doubt that this treaty is both necessary and desirable. I am looking for clear answers to the following questions:
1. Is the Lisbon Treaty essentially the same as the rejected constitutional treaty?
2. Will it enable laws to be passed and implemented against the wishes of the Irish people as a result of the extension of qualified majority voting?
3. What impact, if any, will the treaty have on Bunreacht na hÉireann?
4. Will the treaty enable future changes to the EU that currently require a referendum under Bunreacht na hÉireann to be made without an Irish referendum?
5. Will any future enlargement of the EU be able to occur without a referendum under Bunreacht na hÉireann
6. Is a No vote a vote for the current status quo?
And is the EU not functioning as well as it has ever done under the current status quo? - Yours, etc,
Dr L.F. LACEY, South Strand, Skerries, Co Dublin.
Madam, - It can have been no surprise to his many admirers that the clearest, most concise and most persuasive statement of the case for supporting the Lisbon Treaty is that provided by Garrett FitzGerald in his column of May 10th. The Yes campaign should send it to every registered voter. - Yours, etc,
TIMOTHY KING, Shanganagh Terrace, Killiney, Co Dublin.
Madam, - On the principle that you should never sign and approve a document you have not read, and less still one you have not understood, it would be very helpful if all those in our legislature - 166 of them in Dáil Éireann and 60 in Seanad Éireann - could publicly assure voters that they have read and understood the full text of the proposed Lisbon Treaty which we are being asked to endorse.
Anything less flies in the face of good practice and common sense.
I am not asking that our legislators approve or disapprove of any or all of the articles in the proposed treaty, but simply that they have understood the full text after reading it. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL J. McCANN, Crodaun, Celbridge, Co Kildare.