Madam, - Am I the only one losing count of the "newly established" groups against the Lisbon Treaty? The latest one is a product of the far-left Socialist Workers' Party, a party which receives minuscule support in elections as the People Before Profit Alliance and has never elected a public representative.
It believes the EU is furthering privatisation when the word is actually never mentioned in hundreds of pages of text. They make this claim the day after the European Court of Justice refused the plea of the private company Bupa to challenge risk equalisation which is seen to benefit the public VHI. The court ruled that services of general economic interest needed protecting.
Kieran Allen may have missed the fact that battlegroups have been created under the existing treaties and that the Chad mission has a UN mandate and was agreed by our elected Dáil. The treaty maintains unanimity in the main elements of the common foreign and security policy and respects the "specific character" of member states' policies. The group claims the treaty will undermine democracy when it actually enhances the role of national parliaments and creates a citizens' initiative giving people direct access to the Commission policy agenda.
With so many new groups been set up it seems a pity they cannot come up with some new arguments. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL McLOUGHLIN, Riverwood Heath, Dublin 15.
Madam, - Regardless of what Des Kelly asserts (Letters, Feb 13th) Sinn Féin clearly believes that Ireland's place is in Europe. The party has in the past supported measures that are in the interests of Ireland and the EU. They have opposed those measures that are not. Ireland's place in Europe is secure and anybody suggesting otherwise is simply not correct. Let's have a debate on the issues. The Lisbon Treaty is being opposed because it is not a good deal for Ireland. I believe that if the Lisbon Treaty is rejected a better deal for Ireland and the people of Europe can be secured.
Mr Kelly asserts that Sinn Féin have warned in past referendums that Irish neutrality would be undermined and eroded. This is true and they have been proven correct. Ireland is a member of the Partnership for Peace and Irish troops are on standby as part of an EU force, the Rapid Reaction Force, waiting to go to Chad. Ireland contributes money to the European Defence Agency and American troops flood through Shannon in their thousands on a daily basis. I'm sure they will again warn that this treaty will further undermine our neutrality, as it clearly does. Lisbon contains a commitment to a single EU foreign, security and defence policy.
It places a requirement on all member states to increase military spending so as to progressively improve their military capacities and a requirement that such military capacities have capability with Nato.
It is very disappointing that in the negotiations around this treaty, the Irish Government did not even try to secure a specific article recognising Ireland's neutrality.
Mr Kelly should debate the facts as they stand and not try to cloud the issue.
Whilst he is incorrectly pointing out Sinn Féin's position on Europe, may I also point out to Mr Kelly that there is no such thing as a Reform Treaty. It's called the Lisbon Treaty and I for one will be opposing it.
- Is mise,
MAURICE QUINLIVAN, Stenson Close, Thomondgate, Limerick.