Sir, - Peter Brennan, director of the Irish Business Bureau, notes that Ireland's negotiators can expect some tough sessions during the next round of EU structural funds negotiations ("Celtic Tiger faces tougher times as Union expands and develops", The Irish Times, December 31st). And we can expect a similar position when the CAP reform talks begin. On the same page Vincent Browne reminded us of the generosity of Charlie McCreevy to those in our society who are already well off. Perhaps the challenges which our negotiators now face in Europe are significantly more severe than they might have been thanks to the Minister's decision to allocate a disproportionate share of available funds to the affluent in a society whose GDP per capita is now above the EU average.
It should not surprise us if our European colleagues form the view that we have surplus funds. The Minister's actions clearly suggest that we have more funds than we can prudently invest in our transport and telecommunications infrastructures and in our healthcare, education, and social services. It is also clear that we are not particularly prudent, insofar as we are budgeting for a deficit in the middle of an economic boom. Neither are we much interested in sharing with our EU friends the burden of helping refugees. Our European colleagues might be forgiven for concluding that not only are we rolling in money, but that also we are bordering on being spendthrift and selfish as well.
Encouraging conspicuous consumption while behaving badly to refugees is unlikely to win us many friends. A more appropriate approach might be to invest proportionately more of our available funds directly in developing of the Celtic Tiger economy and in helping the less well-off in our society, including our share of the refugees who come to the EU. Then we might deserve the ongoing support of our friends in Europe and throughout the World. - Yours, etc.,
Killiney, Co Dublin.