Madam, - I support many of the sentiments in Maurice O'Connell's letter of March 14th, but how I fundamentally disagree with the idea that he or anyone should vote in a referendum based on the popularity of this or any other government.
Mr O'Connell is a well-known supporter of the European project, so for him to contemplate any possible course other than a Yes vote to the Lisbon Treaty must indicate how deeply exasperated he is by the performance of the Taoiseach.
I fully agree that the Taoiseach has many questions yet to answer about his financial affairs and actions. His responses to date may have tended to treat the electorate as being half-witted morons and this is being copperfastened by his own parliamentary party and ministerial colleagues, who support him so passionately, and also by the PDs and the Greens.
That said, the referendum relates to an issue that is fundamentally important to our country and to the European project. Irrespective of the competence of the existing Government - and, let's face it, it's pretty bad - the overall objective of the Treaty must be kept in mind. So I would ask Mr O'Connell to reconsider.Should he feel that the Lisbon Treaty is worthy of support, then he should vote Yes.
This may, of course, leave him with a nauseous feeling in his stomach - particularly if the vote is carried and he has to listen to Government Ministers telling us how great they are. But the feeling of illness will go away over time and he and the country will have done the right thing. - Yours, etc,
ODRAN REID, Willow Park Grove, Dublin 11.