Sir, – Let us all simply tell Enda that we will vote Yes in the referendum when he has honoured all his election promises. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – In all honesty, I would have been relatively indifferent to voting in the referendum to ratify the European stability treaty. I’m not thick. I understand the relevance of balancing a budget, of not spending more than you earn. It’s what got many citizens of this state into the financial straits they’re now in. What utterly and completely incenses me, however, is the scaremongering and apocalyptic language already being used by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter and junior Minister Lucinda Creighton in radio interviews on February 28th and 29th on RTÉ.
When repeatedly asked a direct question by the radio show host about what would be the next steps should the electorate vote No, both Government ministers refused to entertain the possibility. When asked would the Government repeatedly put the question to a referendum until we gave the “right” answer both Ministers fumbled and fudged until the interviewer gave up and moved on. It’s that level of political audacity and elitist behaviour that has me now leaning towards going to cast my ballot, and voting No. This treaty does not need to be passed by Ireland.
It requires 12 of the 17 euro-zone countries to ratify it and according to Ms Creighton the other 16 will almost all certainly do just that. It seems the Government is more afraid of the shame of being the only member of the club petulant enough to at least kick the apple cart. We certainly won’t be knocking it over. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Ninety-nine per cent of the fiscal compact treaty is already is EU law, as agreed last year between the governments and the European Parliament in the so-called “six-pack” of legislation, which re-enforced the Maastricht Treaty fiscal rules. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Hilaire Belloc on the fiscal treaty: “Always keep a-hold of Nurse/ For fear of finding something worse!” – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The Government parties and Fianna Fáil are all agreed that they will support a Yes vote on the European fiscal compact because it will continue “economic stability and recovery”. They must explain how this is so. The fiscal compact commits the Government to achieving a near balanced budget. The exchequer deficit for 2012 is expected to be about €18 billion.
The global economy is again slowing and significant export growth is unlikely. The 2011 Census figures indicate that 4.6 million people live in Ireland. If a balanced budget is to be achieved, then (at current spending) €3,900 in extra taxation must be paid by every man, woman and child in the country, every year, to achieve a balanced budget.
If spending is to be reduced, then which services will be cut and how will the burden be carried? Is it possible to carry this burden? Should we try? At the end of this process, assuming it is successful, and if we exclude Anglo and Nationwide liabilities, total government debt will stand at about €140 billion in January 2015. These estimates exclude potential losses or profits at Nama and the two pillar banks.
If population figures remain the same, then every man, woman and child will owe nearly €30,000. Each person will owe this money and still have the enormous annual tax burden.
If we accept the European fiscal compact, we condemn the next generation, if they stay, to crippling liabilities. Is it reasonable for us to condemn our children to this form of slavery? They have not voted for the compact, they will not benefit from it, yet they will be expected to bear the cost of our reckless spending. For the sake of our children, we must be brave in this crisis. Like with Original Sin, they will be born with its consequences and none of the perks. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Now that the attorney general has decided that the fiscal compact treaty should be put before the electorate for acceptance or rejection, perhaps Taoiseach Enda Kenny might consider including a plebiscite on the same day on whether we wish to continue funding the salaries and expenses of the members of the Seanad.
Did Mr Kenny not promise us prior to the last election a referendum on the retention or abolition of the Seanad? Given the exorbitant price of ink cartridges for members of the Oireachtas and the commuting costs for Ivor Callely between his home in the south west of Ireland and the Seanad, would it not be a good opportunity to put this issue before the people to decide whether we want to put this dinosaur to the sword once and for all.
Asking the electorate to tick two boxes as opposed to one is very cost effective. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I’ll be voting No in any referendum on the fiscal treaty in protest at the Government’s abandonment of its pre-election promises to “burn” the Anglo Irish Bank bondholders. Why should we repay the German financial institutions that gambled and lost with Anglo? It is unconscionable that we should have to shoulder the losses that were incurred by German investors in their banks. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – And what have the Romans . . . eh, I mean Europe ever done done for us? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Could I suggest that we save the taxpayer a few million euro by holding the second referendum poll first so that we get the politically-desired result without two votes? If this is not possible, an alternative would be to issue two ballot papers, marked Vote 1 and Vote 2. This would afford the voter the opportunity to first reject the fiscal pact on Vote 1 and then accept it on Vote 2. The only additional expenses would be printing and counting. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – In relation to the upcoming referendum on the fiscal treaty, could the Government do the right thing, and let the people decide? Instead of telling us to vote Yes, perhaps the more democratic thing would be to state to people in literature the pros and cons of voting Yes and voting No on the matter, then let us make the decision and then, whatever that decision is, accept and support it.
This could possibly prevent the Government from incurring the wrath of an anti-government No vote. I think that no political party should be allowed sway the vote on this very important topic. Put the facts out there and let the people decide. – Is mise,
Sir, – Here we go again, another referendum which, irrespective of the question, will be defeated. Opposition parties such as Sinn Féin will seize the opportunity to give the Government a bloody nose. Many others will use it as a means of venting their discontent about the household charge, septic tank registration, and all the other austerity measures.
For the next 10 weeks the electorate will have to endure endless political debates for and against the fiscal treaty, full of the usual mind-blowing nonsense and misinformation. All this at a time when the Government should be devoting every hour of the day to reclaiming Ireland’s sovereignty back from the troika. – Yours, etc,