Madam, - The Government has now admitted what we all knew - the preparation for the Lisbon Treaty referendum was far from perfect and did not reflect the importance of the issue from economic, sociological or political perspectives. Some commentators consider we should run it again and keep at it until we get the right answer. Others maintain the people have spoken — all 28 per cent of them - and there's an end of the matter.
What should now happen is neither a re-run, with more explanations, nor a return of the issue to the Oireachtas, now that the referendum has taken place. The honourable, correct and courageous course is for the Taoiseach to take his Government to the country on the issue and make Lisbon the subject of a general election. This would galvanise our indolent politicians to explain the issues and the consequences of a Yes or No vote. It would also compel a serious and more informed consideration by the voters, and expose the exaggerations of the treaty's opponents.
Finally, it would validate the position of the Government, which is not exactly the Government voted into office in the last general election. - Yours, etc,
COLUM MacDONNELL,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.
Madam, - John A. Murphy (September 11th) says our opting out of EU security and defence policy would negate our soldiers' contribution to international peacekeeping.
How? What they contributed cannot be undone; and, since our peace-keeping actions were conducted under the UN and can continue to be so, our rejection of security and defence cooperation with other EU countries need have no bearing on this.
In his haste to label others as "wilfully ignorant", Mr Murphy may himself have stumbled into that category. - Yours, etc,
DÓNALL Ó MEARÁIN,
Bundoran,
Co Donegal.
Madam, - With opinion polls showing the significant majority of No votes as stemming from a "failure to understand Lisbon" (The Irish Times, September 11th) should the No camp not now change its slogan to "No Means Don't Know"? - Yours, etc,
PETER-TOM McMAHON,
Beechpark Grove,
Dublin 18.
Madam, - Your bizarre Editorial of September 11th makes much of the misinformation that contributed to a No vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum. Then, in the last line, you add your own bit of misinformation when you refer to "how possible marginalisation or exclusion from the EU would affect Ireland".
We are not going to be excluded from the EU and it is a mark of your poor editorship that you resort to this type of mischievous tactic simply because the electorate have disagreed with your view. - Yours, etc,
JACK O'CONNOR,
Upper Rathmines Road,
Dublin 6.