Madam, - The Draft EU Constitution has serious consequences for Irish people, because it will remove decisions on how health and education services are provided from the control of Irish legislators.
It is essential, therefore, that an informed public debate take place on its ramifications. We welcome your paper's coverage to this end.
The Democracy and Public Services in Europe (DAPSE) group, like the Assembly of the European Regions, regards the Draft Constitution as unacceptable.
Nor do we accept that the debate is closed: common EU defence, corporate taxation, and the composition of the Commission - amongst other issues - are still being discussed. We reject Commission President Prodi's "take it or leave it" blackmail.
Mary Harney argues (Dec. 6th) that in order to protect democracy, decisions on taxation in the Council of Ministers must be by a unanimous vote. We presume she means that member-states must be able to veto proposals that go against the views of their electorates, since she argues that in large part the voters support candidates on the basis of their party's taxation policies.
But the flip-side of taxation is public spending. We would argue that spending proposals also play a large part in the decision on whom to vote for. By extension of Ms Harney's logic, a "healthy local democracy" necessitates the right to veto EU proposals on health and education also.
Ms Harney has argued that Irish control of Irish taxation was "approved explicitly in our referendum" on the Treaty of Nice (Nov. 22nd).
Could we remind her that the same referendum also provided a veto on the opening of international trade deals on health, education and cultural/audiovisual services?
The Draft Constitution has no such veto: the Council of Ministers could decide by Qualified Majority Vote to offer the "commercial aspects" of these services for international trade in the GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services).
Already the Irish people are not told what their representatives offer for trade in the GATS until after the deal is done. Nor are we told how Ireland votes in the Council of Ministers.
The Tánaiste - and presumably the rest of the Government - wants the right to keep corporation tax in Ireland lower than elsewhere in the EU.
But they appear happy with a Draft Constitution that would allow health and education to become further commercialised - where you will get only as much as you can pay for - as part of the GATS.
Secret EU negotiations would allow private companies to run large parts of our health or education services, be paid out of our taxes, pay little tax themselves - and in many cases export the profits!
A curiously one-sided vision of "healthy local democracy" indeed. - Yours etc.,
MIRIAM MURPHY, BRENDAN YOUNG, DAPSE, Watson Ave, Killiney, Dublin.