A chara, - Fianna Fáil and PD ministers are becoming increasingly hysterical in trying to frighten voters into reversing their previous decision on the Nice Treaty. This is hardly surprising, given the Government's recklessness in squandering the economic boom, which was generated by Irish workers' increased productivity over the past 10 years.
In the latest scaremongering, Mr Ahern and Ms Harney try to claim that foreign direct investment will fall if the people reaffirm their No vote.
But why should this be so? We would still be a full member of the EU and, free of the centralisation of Nice, we would be in a stronger position to set tax rates which attract foreign investment (if that is what we decide).
Applicant countries would still be able to join via the same accession treaty mechanism that we did and thus prevent a two-tier EU, where most investment would be sucked towards the centre.
In fact, foreign investment is already falling and is set to fall further because of the global IT recession. This fall will be compounded, not by a "No to Nice II" vote, but by the increasing perception of corruption in Ireland as revealed in the latest index from Transparency International.
The problem for FF and the PDs is that they now lack credibility because of their failure to tackle corruption effectively and because they broke many of their election promises as soon as they conned their way back into government. - Is mise,
Cllr DESSIE ELLIS,
Dunsink Road,
Dublin 11.
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Sir, - I am amazed that none of your political commentators has made the obvious suggestion that if the Labour Party is to reclaim its radical image and credibility with the electorate it should oppose the undemocratic Nice Treaty.
Come to think of it, The Irish Times could do likewise. - Yours, etc.,
M. MAGILL,
Howth,
Co Dublin.