Madam, – Contrary to what Taoiseach Brian Cowen seems to think, it wasn’t the amount of money spent by Libertas that led to a resounding No vote in the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
Declan Ganley, Mary Lou McDonald and Kathy Sinnott were some of the champions of a very effective No campaign. Each had a clear understanding of the treaty and what it contains, the underlying sentiment behind the treaty and the consequences for Ireland and Europe if it comes into force.
They were helped in no small way by the hundreds of people who discussed the issues with their friends and families. These people filled newspaper letters pages and the radio airwaves for months. Meanwhile the main political parties didn’t do the groundwork, trotted out the same unconvincing lines, and paid the consequences.
As our representative, the Government should have proclaimed that the treaty was dead and led the way in taking Europe where the people of Ireland, France, the Netherlands and probably most other nations want it to go. Instead they have squandered an opportunity to truly put Ireland at the heart of Europe as a nation that respects the wishes of its people and truly can punch above its weight. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – W.J. Murphy’s desire (March 2nd) for an Irish Commissioner at any cost is a bizarre one, but tragically it was quite prevalent among many No campaigners during the last Lisbon Treaty referendum.
I was surprised to learn that there is an EU Commissioner for Multilingualism. I suspect that Mr Murphy might be in favour of having a commissioner for tiddlywinks if it kept an Irish person in the Commission. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – W.J.Murphy is worried about the possibility of having legislation imposed on us that would be contrary to our traditional ethos. Recent revelations have brought to light decades of child abuse by large numbers of clergy and religious institutions and years of accepted skulduggery by bank officials, businessmen and politicians. Now in the teeth of economic disaster, workers are refusing to accept responsibility for the protection of the weaker sections of our society. Perhaps Mr Murphy might explain what he means by our “traditional ethos”. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Those who advocate a Christian Europe would do well to reflect on where we have come from. Our great Christian continent was responsible for perpetrating the two great slaughtering matches of the first half of the previous century. Wherever there is trouble on the planet, religion is the one ingredient which is ever present. It should not be allowed to have any influence on the European Union. People are entitled to believe whatever they wish. They do not have any right to foist their beliefs on those of us who regard all religion as pie in the sky. – Yours, etc,