Sir, - John Kenny (May 30th) suggests that MEPs failed to honour pre-election promises to keep the electorate informed on European Union issues. The charge is baseless. Irish MEPs avail of every possible opportunity to communicate directly and through the media with their constituents.
All EU matters (including many of the issues arising from the debate on the Nice treaty) are, and have been for years, the subject of regular open debate and voting in the European Parliament Irish MEPs participate in these debates for three to four days a week for over 40 weeks each year and are therefore uniquely place to interpret and communicate developments. Each year each MEP attends hundreds of public constituency meetings, circulates thousands of newsletters, issues many press releases and gives scores of interviews to journalists working for local, regional and national media.
Many people would now welcome even more coverage of EU matters in the coming years as the pace of developments continues to accelerate. As always, Irish MEPs will be available to report and to answer questions on these matters. - Yours, etc.,
Jim O'Brien, Head Of Office European Parliament Office, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.