Madam, – The farmers are restless, the fishermen are up in arms, and public service unions are gunning for a fight, so the EU integrationists better watch out – this campaign is just beginning. For decades we’ve heard how that EU has pumped money into Ireland, while all this time EU trawlers cleared fish – worth many billions of euro – out of our seas. In the last few days the Irish Fishermen’s Organisation (IFO) said, “We estimate that European vessels have taken up to €200 billion worth of fish out of our waters over the last 35 years of EU membership”. It’s hard to believe that Irish waters produce 40 per cent of the EU catch but Irish fishermen are heavily restricted from fishing in our own waters, and receive just 4 per cent of the fishing quota.
Now, however, Ireland is moving from being net recipient from the EU to being a net contributor. Just as this country is broke and needs the money – there shall be a demand for cash from the EU. It already collects money – a percentage of all VAT receipts. The Lisbon Treaty however, will give the EU the power to impose its own tax for its “own resources” with the unanimous agreement of 27 EU prime ministers and parliaments. (Art 311, Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). Lisbon would also give the EU exclusive power over rules on foreign direct investment (Arts 206-7 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). This is not a very good exchange: vote Yes and the EU gets to raise its own money by taxing us and setting the rules over direct foreign investment. For economic reasons alone I’ll be voting No, I suspect a lot of farmers and fishermen will being doing the same. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – Once again the usual anti-EU pressure groups, small political parties of the extreme right and left, individuals with hidden agendas, etc, are instructing us all to vote No to Lisbon 2. Once again that will be all the encouragement that I will need to vote Yes. – Is mise,