Sir, - Ireland can learn some important lessons from the debate in Denmark on the euro referendum. It is about time that the issues of Irish sovereignty and national identity were seriously discussed - and these seem to have been the key issues in the Danish referendum.
Years of grants and subsidies from Brussels and a broad consensus among the major political parties have contributed to a generally positive and indeed laissez- faire public attitude towards the growth of the EU in Ireland. Historically, Brussels has concerned itself with matters of primarily European concern, such as the lifting of trade barriers and the CAP, while attempting to standardise other areas of the law such as consumer rights. And there can be no doubt about the beneficial effect of European legislation in many areas such as employment equality, health and safety.
Since Maastricht, however, European involvement in more sensitive national issues has increased dramatically. Taxation and foreign policy have been to the fore in this regard. Hand in hand with this is a determination by Brussels to make European governance more effective and wide-ranging by bringing more areas under the auspices of qualified majority voting on the Council of Ministers and to increase the power of the Parliament.
I do not subscribe to any of the current Franco-German innercore conspiracy theories about Europe, but the slide toward greater integration and quasi-federalism is inexorable. In this regard we need to safeguard and optimise our representation and influence so as to get the best possible deal in any future European model.
Lingering fears about our size and peripherality may turn out now to be well founded. Is the Government doing enough to ensure that Ireland's voice in a Europe of the future will not be ignored? As suggested alarmingly in Denmark, will the EU potentially have the power to close down Ireland as a sovereign nation? - Yours, etc.,
Joseph Kane, Charnwood, Bray, Co Wicklow.