Madam, - I read with great alarm the reports that Ireland has negotiated an opt-out on the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the new EU Reform Treaty. The coalition that has supported successive moves towards greater European integration in Ireland has been a broad one and has critically engaged the trade union movement and others on the left due to the commitment to a social Europe.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights is now a key part of the EU social protection architecture. The fact that our Government felt able to seek an opt-out without any reference to the people or any noticeable demand for it is of major concern. Perhaps Mr Ahern takes the support of people interested in a social Europe for granted. This could be a major mistake.
If Europe is to become simply a free market area with no social guarantee and no rights for its citizens to challenge laws and to have rights in the social and economic field, then many who have supported Ireland's participation will turn their back on it.
If the Government wishes to exclude these benefits from Irish people as it sought to exclude them from equal pay, clean water and other rights, then it will have a turbulent time in any referendum campaign.
There is still time to reverse this opt-out, either in the final drafting, the legislation introducing a referendum or the referendum wording itself.
Failure to do so may risk alienating a whole swathe of people who have supported the EU integration process in the past. Mr Ahern should think long and hard about such a development. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL MCLOUGHLIN,
Riverwood Heath,
Castleknock,
Dublin 15.