Madam, – We are a group of Irish and Irish Americans deeply concerned with the outcome of Friday’s referendum. We are writing in our personal capacities, but are involved with many leading Irish organisations here and businesses with investments in Ireland. The fact is that the result of this week’s vote will affect Ireland’s relationship not only with Europe, but also with the United States – and will do so profoundly.
The US has invested $80 billion in Ireland; more than it has in Brazil, Russia, India and China. Some 600 US companies in Ireland employ 100,000 and export €60 billion of goods and services annually. Why should the US make such major investments in such a small economy? Ireland’s educated, enthusiastic workforce, allied with a relatively benign tax regime, are a crucial but insufficient explanation. The X factor is the fact that Ireland is the only English-speaking member of the euro area.
A presence in Ireland provides access to the EU internal market, one of the largest consumer markets in the world.
Ireland needs precious foreign investment now more than ever, while competition for that investment is at its most intense.
A No vote would indicate to many American investors that being integrated with international trade is not a priority for Ireland. If the Irish are prepared to reject a treaty concerned more with administrative issues than sovereignty, are they turning towards isolationism and can they be considered reliable trading partners?
This is not scaremongering. The fact is these questions are being asked here now in advance of the referendum.
The debate over whether Ireland is closer to Berlin than Boston is misplaced. Ireland has the luxury of being equally close to both. A No vote would distance Ireland from both Boston and Berlin. For the sake of Ireland’s relationship with the United States, as much as with Europe, a resounding Yes is essential on Friday. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – As one whose family were involved in both World Wars, I was an enthusiastic supporter of the European dream ever since it first took shape more than 50 years ago.
Against that background I feel seriously let down by the democratic deficit at the heart of the Lisbon Treaty vote. That should have been put to the electorate not merely in Ireland but throughout the EU with a single count centre.
If it is true that fear of defeat is behind their decision then shame on the Commission. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – I read the article “Voters should beware the advice of false friends across Irish Sea” with interest (Opinion, September 29th). It was written by Denis MacShane, the British Labour MP for Rotherham, which last time I checked was located across the Irish Sea.
It gave me a good laugh to start the day anyway. – Is mise,
Madam, – We must not be afraid to vote No to Lisbon. The people must know the truth, that the guarantees are worthless and that the EU will have primacy over Ireland’s Constitution. Lisbon is not about tidying up the democratic process – it is about tying up the democratic process.
I cannot be bought. I have always told the truth about what I saw happening in Europe, especially when it threatened our Constitution and our democratic rights as citizens of Ireland. I have no axe to grind and I am not seeking political office.
During my time as MEP from 1999 to 2004, the building of an EU constitution and the move towards and EU superstate was clearly set out. I stated this many times and urged our political leaders and public representatives to uphold our Irish Constitution – they all refused to do so.
A simple name change will not change the fact that adopting the Lisbon Treaty will undermine our sovereignty and political independence and profoundly weaken Ireland’s position in Europe and is the path to a European constitution, having primacy over Ireland’s Constitution.
Former taoiseach, Dr Garret FitzGerald also stated on June 30th, 2007, that proposed changes to the Constitutional Treaty, “had no practical effect. They have simply been designed to enable certain heads of government to sell to their people the idea of ratification by parliamentary action rather than by referendum”. Chancellor Merkel of Germany and José Zapatero, prime minister of Spain confirmed that, “The substance of the constitution is preserved” and that “not a single substantial point” of the constitutional treaty has been let go.
We have already rejected this Lisbon Treaty and in response our political leaders apologised to Brussels.
The Lisbon Treaty will give the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights primacy and a legally binding status. The fact is that in the case of conflict, between the rights contained in the EU Charter and those rights contained in our Irish Constitution, the Lisbon Treaty will give the final say to the EU Court of Justice over our Irish Supreme Court. Voting No will protect Ireland’s Constitution in matters such as the definition and protection of the family; children’s rights; parents’ rights; the protection of life and the child embryo; the right to a fair trial; the right to strike etc. Any so-called “guarantees” and protection of our Irish constitutional position on these points, are not part of the Lisbon Treaty, they therefore have no legal weight whatsoever and cannot be relied upon. They are, as we have been told many times, worthless.
This is no longer about the politics of right and left it is about right and wrong. I can no longer stay silent about the wilful betrayal of Ireland’s Constitution.
Just as in Article 12.8 of Ireland’s Constitution the President states “In the presence of Almighty God I do solemnly and sincerely promise and declare that I will maintain the Constitution of Ireland and uphold its laws, that I will fulfil my duties faithfully and conscientiously in accordance with the Constitution . . .”; Article 9.3 calls upon everyone stating: “Fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State are fundamental political duties of all citizens”.
People should not be afraid to vote No, proclaim loyalty to the State and fidelity to the nation. Our Constitution should be upheld, not diluted for political and personal gain. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Gerry Adams tells us that “the Lisbon Treaty proposal to reduce the size of the European Commission from 2014 remains in place in Article 9 D.” (Opinion, September 28th).
The article in question states that “As from . . . 2014 the Commission shall consist of a number of members . . . corresponding to two-thirds of the number of member-states, unless the European Council, acting unanimously, decides to alter this number.”
I find it interesting that Mr Adams chose not to refer to the second part of this Article.
As he is no doubt aware, the European Council has already utilised it by deciding to alter the number of commissioners, allowing all countries including Ireland to keep their commissioner and effectively neutering the proposal to reduce the size of the Commission. This arrangement will continue in perpetuity, until such time as it is amended by another unanimous decision of the European Council. The Irish Government would have a veto over any such decision.
I trust that this omission on Mr Adams’ part was not intended to mislead. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Perhaps Canon Adrian Empey (September 28th) would have been less "outraged" by my comments to The Irish Timesregarding the Protestant joint-statement on the Lisbon Treaty if he had read the relevant Irish Times report (Home News September 23rd) more carefully. I did not quote the Irish Medical News's reference to the claim that more than 750,000 Irish people could be "involuntarily detained under a provision in the Lisbon Treaty allowing alcoholics to be confined, which contravenes the Mental Health Act 2001". That statement was in fact quoted by The Irish Timesin the course of its report of my comments which referred to wider aspects of the Irish Medical News report on the confinement issue. Nor did I indicate, as Canon Empey writes, that the Irish Medical Newshad made the claim.
My comments focused on two points: first the partisan, pro-treaty stance of the Protestant joint-statement and, second, the astounding claim made by Bishop Noel Treanor that there were "no grounds to justify a No vote in the Lisbon Treaty [referendum] on the basis of specifically religious or ethical concerns". The Irish Medical News's wider-ranging report was an illustration of an ethical concern, I said.
Rather than wrongly accusing me of engaging in "baseless Eurosceptic propaganda", Canon Empey could more profitably reflect on the partisan nature of the approach of the Church of Ireland Church in Society Committee European Affairs Working Group, of which he is a member. The good people of the Church of Ireland should have been left to make up their own minds on the Lisbon Treaty without an official church body seeking to influence them to vote in a particular way. Indeed, in the Church of Ireland Gazette's feature on the Lisbon Treaty referendum debate (issue, September 25th), we took great care to present both sides of the debate fairly. As an editorially independent publication, we chose that balanced approach, in contrast to the official Church Working Group's approach. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Throughout the campaign certain groups advocating a No vote have been making statements regarding the treaty that have no basis in law or in fact.
Certain No groups claim the guarantees secured by the Government in June are worthless. This is wrong. The outcome of the deliberations in June could not be any clearer regarding the guarantees on taxation, abortion and neutrality. These decisions give legal guarantees to the Irish people, are fully compatible with the Treaty of Lisbon and are legally binding. To suggest otherwise is to mislead the Irish people.
Cóir continually states that if Lisbon is ratified, European Union law will gain primacy over Irish law. However, such primacy has been part of the legal system of the European Communities since 1963 and was clearly recognised by the Irish people in the third amendment to the Constitution, which allowed for Irish membership of the European Economic Community.
In fact it is precisely because of the primacy of European Union law over conflicting Irish law that Irish citizens have been able to assert rights in areas such as gender equality and environmental protection. If anything it is the existing primacy of European law that provides a multitude of rights and protections for Irish people.
European Union law has brought our country from being an insular peripheral nation to being a confident vibrant country with new-found rights and freedoms. Most of the rights that we take for granted today as workers, parents and citizens have come about thanks to effective EU law. It has served us well in the past and positive changes can only have a positive outcome for Ireland. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Thankyou for your repeated coverage of the views of Ms McDonald and Messrs.O’Higgins and Ganley et al. They have convinced me. I will be voting Yes! – Yours, etc,
A chara, – Both the Yes and the No sides are desperately exaggerating the effects of the Lisbon Treaty on Ireland. In reality, the treaty will have very little effect on this country. Its principal areas of reform are either irrelevant to us (space exploration) or else we have secured opt-outs (justice).
However, the treaty will have an enormous impact on the lives of millions but in the Balkans. This treaty is the vehicle for the future accession of struggling, post-conflict societies which want to turn the page on the troubles of their past two decades. They deserve our support, and it is for their sakes that I am going to vote Yes. – Is mise,
Madam, – I am writing to suggest that our farmers should unite with our fishermen because in 1973 they lost out, and in 2009 our farmers will lose out. – Yours, etc,