Madam, – Manus Mac Meanmain (June 20th), is wrong in his comments about Gay Mitchell MEP. Mr Mitchell is correct to point out that the vast majority of Oireachtas members are in favour of passing Lisbon. This is an undisputable fact and not just a claim. It should also be noted that these TDs and Senators represent every mainstream democratic political party in Dáil Éireann.
Mr Mac Meanmain fails to mention that the people were deliberately misled by the lies of Sinn Féin and the unelected, unaccountable, secretly-funded Libertas. He also fails to mention that the people elected the politicians to act on the people’s behalf, and far from acting in their own self-interest, these very Oireachtas members have set aside party politics in favour of the country’s clear national interest.
Now that the people’s concerns will be addressed by legally binding guarantees lodged with the UN, it is incumbent on all patriotic Irish men and woman to campaign for a Yes vote. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Manus Mac Meanmain (June 20th) claims that MEP Gay Mitchell’s letter on June 19th “implies that somehow politicians are wiser than the ordinary voter” and that “the voters took their decision in the best interests of the country”. If that were the case, why is there no consistency in the electorate’s approach to European issues? The electorate accepted the recommendations of Mary Lou McDonald, Kathy Sinnott and Declan Ganley to vote No to the Lisbon Treaty on June 12th last year, only to reject the same leading No campaigners as prospective MEP representatives less than a year later. The electorate is fickle, inconsistent, illogical and thoroughly unappreciative of democracy. I hope a year of lost jobs and plummeting incomes have taught the electorate to be less blasé about the benefits they derive from the greatest combined democracy on earth, the European Union. Since voters actively benefit from democracy, they ought to contribute actively to democracy by firstly voting and secondly actively informing themselves of issues in their interest. Some voters complained they did not know enough about the Lisbon Treaty, despite the plethora of leaflets, canvassing, TV programmes, radio chat shows, newspaper articles and the convenient opening times of public libraries.
Politicians are in the Dáil to legislate and to administer the nation, not to spoonfeed an apathetic electorate. Some voters said they were too tired to make the journey to their local polling station. I will be making the journey from Luxembourg to vote Yes later this year, just like I made the effort to vote Yes on the day I left Ireland last year, because democracy is fragile and must not be taken for granted. I thank my lucky stars I do not live in Iran, North Korea, or Saudi Arabia. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Michael McLoughlin (June 18th) has gently chided me for a lack of appreciation of the implications of Article 46.2 of Bunreacht na hÉireann. I appreciate receiving his sharing of insight into the matter of a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
Nevertheless, it seems, in spite of the rejection of the treaty by a majority of the people of the Irish Republic, that the Government, after receiving amending assurances on exemptions for Ireland, has felt compelled by European power-brokers on top of its constitutional obligation, clearly outlined by Michael McLoughlin, to hold a second referendum.
On the day of voting, will Irish voters in fact be voting again for “the Lisbon Treaty” or will they be voting for legally binding changes to the treaty – in which case it would seem, albeit at some distance from the action, that voters would be voting for a different treaty.
May I now draw attention to another difficulty facing many people both North and South of the “partition” line: that European “Union” containing an un-united Ireland is a great irony for many of us: perhaps a case of the old Irish cart before the galloping European horse?
Nevertheless, there is hope! If Mr McLoughlin knows his Constitution as well as he seems to, he will be aware of Article 15.. Unionists spent years focusing so exclusively on Articles 2 and 3 that it seems doubtful if they ever read as far as Article 15; otherwise, they might have been agreeably surprised to find that its provisions provide constitutional reassurance that Northern Ireland would retain autonomy within a truly New Ireland.(Article 15.2.2: “Provision may however be made by law for the creation or recognition of subordinate legislatures and for the powers and functions of these legislatures”). In the meantime, I trust Mr McLoughlin will spare a thought for those Irish people, who, unlike him, have no direct vote at all in these seminal European matters.
Perhaps by the time the significance of Article 15 has become apparent we shall be voting on the ratification of a new constitution for a truly New Ireland. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – First Nice Referendum, June 7th, 2001. 499 days later: second Nice referendum, October 19th, 2002. If form holds true: first Lisbon Treaty, June 12th, 2008. 499 days later: second Lisbon Treaty, Saturday October 24th 2009. And so it goes. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I see that the Dublin chattering classes are getting exercised about possible vote fraud in an election in far-off Iran.
At the same time they are lining up to cheer for a Yes vote in the forthcoming Lisbon referendum which is a shameful overturning of the democratically expressed will of the Irish people in the first referendum.
Am I the only reader to see an irony in this? Jonathan Swift, you should be living at this hour! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – How reassuring it is that the Taoiseach is confident we will not have to listen to any more scaremongering, misinformation and lies during the re-run of the Lisbon Treaty debate. I look forward to the absence of Dick Roche and Gay Mitchell from the airwaves over the next few months. – Yours, etc,