Madam, - The editor of the Irish Daily Mirrorsuggested at Wednesday's meeting of the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Ireland's Future in the European Union that this office was only interested in talking to The Irish Times. This leaves me somewhat mystified. The European Commission representation in Ireland strives to engage with all sectors of the Irish media, through regular personal interaction, press releases and so on.
Every year, we organise information sessions for journalists in Brussels. These one- or two-day trips generally involve briefings with senior officials, commissioners and MEPs. Our most recent trip in October was attended by a journalist from the Irish Sunday Mirror. Other Irish Daily Mirrorjournalists have been invited and a number have attended on previous occasions.
In April, we placed a four-page information supplement in the Daily Mirrorto highlight the role of the European Commission and the practical benefits of Ireland's EU membership for Irish people. This included information on recent EU legislation to reduce mobile phone roaming charges, on consumer rights, on food safety and climate change, as well as a brief, easy-to-understand outline of the main points of the Lisbon Treaty. - Yours, etc,
MARTIN TERRITT,
Director,
European Commission Representation in Ireland,
Dawson Street,
Dublin 2.
Madam, - The road to recovery lies in expanding the output of manufacturing industry and internationally traded services. This is the only way we eliminate the deficit in our international payments and improve employment prospects. Despite the recession, total manufacturing output has continued to increase according to recently published data from the Central Statistics Office.
The main contributor to this growth has been foreign direct investment. In order for us to win enough new inward investment projects, state development agencies must be able to convince even more of these companies that Ireland is a fully committed member of the European Union. Passage of the Lisbon Treaty will be essential in doing so. - Yours, etc,
LIAM CONNELLAN,
Knocksinna Park,
Foxrock,
Dublin 18.