Sir, - In his recent letter, Alan Dukes TD very conveniently avoided the argument put forward by Frank Keoghan and myself and deliberately put forward an entirely different scenario so that he could then knock it down, giving the impression that we are "uninformed" or "missing the point".
It is Mr Dukes who uses the phrase "integration of the WEU into the European Union". If the EU were to adopt this form of "integration", as referred to in Article J7.1 of the draft Amsterdam Treaty, then it would, as he says, require a referendum because it would bring military (WEU) matters within the scope of European law and the European Court of Justice, which would be a fundamentally new addition to the European treaties. Such integration appears unlikely in the foreseeable future.
As I have already said, what is really dangerous about Article J.7 is that the referendum on the Amsterdam Treaty gives permission to the Member States to pursue a common foreign and security policy which includes "the progressive framing of a common defence policy. . . which might lead to a common defence, should the European Council so decide" - and this would most likely be through the nuclear-armed WEU on an inter-governmental basis. Therefore, if the Irish people vote Yes to the Amsterdam Treaty they would be giving permission for that to be done by a future Irish Government, if it so desired, without need for further consultation with the people. Such a development is much more likely than the type of "integration" Mr Dukes refers to.
As pointed out by Frank Keoghan, the neutrality referendum promised by governments in recent years is not an Irish constitutional requirement but a political referendum which successive governments have promised and given a political commitment to up to now. If we vote Yes to Article J7 of the Amsterdam Treaty, we will, in effect, release any future Irish government from this obligation, for we would, in effect, be saying: you have our permission to have a common defence in the future, should the European Council so decide.
This draft Article J.7 has the effect of formally licensing a future Irish government to abandon Irish neutrality without need for further referral to the people.
By voting No we will be maintaining our right to veto such a vital decision and refusing to give a blank cheque to the European Council, and the Irish Government representative thereon, to commit us to a common EU nuclear armed military alliance or common army. - Yours, etc., PATRICIA McKENNA MEP
European Parliament Offices, Dublin 2.