The following is the text of the letter sent by the Fine Gael leader, Mr Michael Noonan, to the Taoiseach, outlining the reasons why his party is not supporting the Government's National Forum on Europe:
Dear Taoiseach,
I am responding to our meeting of 6 July 2001 and to the documents which you gave me on that occasion regarding the Government's proposal for a National Forum on Europe.
Fine Gael has a fundamental concern about what is now proposed which, incidentally, is significantly different from what seemed to be envisaged during Dail statements last month. My understanding then was that we would work together in a short-term forum which would seek to find as much consensus as possible on how we might move forward against the background of the outcome of the Nice Referendum.
What you are now proposing is a three-year talking shop which would concentrate on debating the issues without attempting to reach any agreement. Meanwhile, developments on Europe would continue and the Government, whether it wished it or not, would be required to take decisions.
Fine Gael is prepared to work with other parties to seek to achieve a national position which would, on the one hand, facilitate the implementations of the provisions agreed for EU enlargement and, on the other hand, take account of the issues of concern which were articulated during the Nice Referendum campaign. This might best be achieved by a forum which would sit, say for three months, and which would seek an agreed report. Such a report might then form the basis of a second referendum on the Nice Treaty. If an agreed report did not prove possible, a majority report and a dissenting minority report might be put to the people in a referendum.
Fine Gael is not prepared to enter into the type of forum which you propose for the following reasons:
1. The Government is seriously divided on EU matters. As has recently been noted by an eminent European commentator, there are three conflicting Government positions on Europe. The Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs have adopted a position that is broadly in line with Fine Gael's past and current approach. The Tanaiste, the Minister for Finance and the Attorney General support a liberal economic regime but are opposed to changes in the Union's institutional and constitutional framework. Their position reflects Margaret Thatcher's celebrated Bruges speech in 1988. A third group led by the grandchildren of Eamon de Valera has adopted the rhetoric of traditional nationalism and dressed it in right-wing Euro-sceptical clothes.
Fine Gael believes that these openly expressed differences are best addressed and resolved within Government rather than in a forum involving opposition political parties and others.
2. Fine Gael believes that Irish democracy is best served by public debate, in the Houses of the Oireachtas and elsewhere, of the issues of the day. Exceptionally, national consensus is appropriate on a very limited number of major issues. For instance, Fine Gael will continue to support a consensus position on Northern Ireland as long as that position is based on our long-held basic principles of consent and the rejection of violence. We will also continue to support the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness even though, as I have frequently pointed out, I believe that this type of social partnership is too narrowly based and should take account of other matters such as the effective provision of health and education services. To seek consensus on an additional major issue such as Europe, would not, I believe, best serve the interests of democracy. The public have a right to know that there may be differing positions on which consensus is neither possible nor appropriate and on which the most important thing is that the people should have the opportunity to decide between the available positions. It is a matter for the people to decide whether our position of wholehearted commitment to EU membership or the semi-detachment of a divided Fianna Fail best suits Ireland's interests.
3. At the suggestion of the Government, the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution deliberated for some time on abortion and, in November last year, published a report which adopted as its first recommendation the Fine Gael proposal to create and fund with £50 million a project to reduce the number of crisis pregnancies and the rate of abortion. Despite the widespread support for this position, you have ignored it and taken no action. This discourages Fine Gael from investing time and energy in working with you to achieve consensus on other issues.
Given the uncertainties for our European partners and for those waiting for membership, I reiterate Fine Gael's willingness to work in a forum where the terms of reference would specifically relate to the short-term situation and which would have as its objective the formulation of an agreed position or positions to be put to the people in a further referendum.
We want to see and facilitate EU enlargement and will work with you and the other parties to achieve it.