Madam, – Irish neutrality is a policy to keep Ireland out of foreign wars, and to deny support, moral or otherwise, in the name of our country, to either side in a foreign war. An independent, non-aligned foreign policy is the political expression of peacetime neutrality. Remaining firmly outside any military alliance or other commitment to any mutual support of another country in war, declared or not, is an essential part of neutrality.
The Lisbon Treaty, according to the Referendum Commission, requires that member states, including Ireland, “would be obliged to aid another member state which is the victim of armed aggression, in accordance with the UN Charter, but this must not compromise the character of certain states’ policies, including Ireland’s policy on neutrality”.
Why is Ireland simply not excluded from that obligation, and from any obligation to giving moral support to a side in a war which is unpopular among our people? Why do our Government, and opposition not sign a pact prior to October 2nd committing themselves to an Irish neutrality policy the “character of which is to prevent any such obligation”? This would be worth more than any EU re-assurance.
The Referendum Commission goes on to say that: “It would be a matter for each member state to decide whether to participate in the European Defence Agency (EDA), and to decide on its own level of military spending”. Irish neutrality requires that we stay out of the EDA.
Our Government has refused to listen to us on this, instead preferring to do what the Army leadership and the anti-neutrality cheerleaders (including those in your columns) want. Do they want to get Lisbon passed or not?
Neutrality has been watered down too much already, by our own Government, to tolerate any more. Neutralists do not want a European Common Security and Foreign Policy, nor continued Irish participation in the NATO-sponsored Partnership for Peace (PfP), nor the ongoing situation where our Government allows Shannon Airport to be used by a foreign army going to foreign wars, in defiance of Irish neutrality, nor token presences of a few personnel (detailed by retired Commandant Ed Horgan recently) to be deployed in places such as Afghanistan.
No neutralist can support the Lisbon Treaty, and this opposition is as much due to those policies of the Irish Government, which it is free to change prior to October 2nd, as it is due to the genuine threat to Irish neutrality in the Lisbon Treaty itself. Both are significant.
Our Government claims that the EU Treaties do not put any block on the pursuit of a neutrality policy. Then start pursuing a neutrality policy again immediately. Pull out of the EDA, out of the PfP, and deny Shannon to foreign armies.
Otherwise, we have no option but to come out in large numbers and vote No to Lisbon to at least stop our membership of the EDA. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Any suggestion that the Lisbon Treaty has nothing to do with our economy or our future economic success is wrong. It is also wrong to say that foreign direct investment will not be affected by a second rejection of the treaty.
Multinational companies look for stability and certainty when investing overseas. At a time when competition for foreign direct investment is intense, a No vote would have a negative impact on confidence and add to the international concerns about our economy.
As president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland, I know that for many of our members’ companies, a crucial part of their strategy and reason for being here is that Ireland is a part of Europe. Not only that, but Ireland is seen to have influence and power within Europe.
If there is any doubt about our commitment to Europe or our influence within the union, it could cause future investment to be lost to Ireland. Investing directly in mainland Europe would be considerably more attractive than investing in an island off the continent which has little influence.
Multinational companies including Intel, Pfizer and Leo Pharma have independently declared their support for a Yes vote in the forthcoming referendum. These companies, together with the American Chamber and Ibec, are very clear about the importance of a Yes vote to future jobs and investment in this country.
US multinationals have invested a total of $146 billion (€99 billion) in Ireland. Over 600 companies are responsible for the direct and indirect employment of almost 300,000 people. Forty per cent of Ireland’s corporate tax take has been paid by multinational companies, and US firms contribute €13 billion to the economy in terms of payroll and goods and services employed in their operations.
The contribution of foreign direct investment to the Irish economy is immense, and continued investment by these companies will be critical to our economic recovery.
A Yes vote is a vote for jobs and investment and will send a powerful signal to the global investment community that we remain committed members of the European Union. – Yours, etc,