Madam, - Mary Lou McDonald MEP (January 24th) contends that the EU Reform Treaty will bring the Irish State into a common defence grouping in Europe. This is untrue.
It is enshrined in our Constitution, following the last EU referendum in October 2002, that Ireland cannot join a common European defence pact unless such a decision is supported by the Irish people in a referendum.
Moreover, the triple lock arrangement is legally in place whereby Irish troops cannot serve abroad unless it is with the support of the Irish Government, by a vote in favour in Dáil Éireann and that such a peacekeeping deployment is sanctioned under a specific United Nations resolution.
To try to argue, as Ms McDonald does, that the EU Reform Treaty will lead Ireland into a common European defence arrangement is simply wrong.
She also contends that this treaty would allow the "EU to act in the international arena in the same way as a state". She fails to mention that the European Union can take decisions in the field of foreign affairs only in accordance with a unanimous decision of all 27 member-states of the EU.
I do accept one point that Ms McDonald makes: that this is one of the most important decisions that the voters of this State will be asked to make.
Either we continue to remain as a central and active member of the European Union by voting Yes to this treaty or we decide to become a marginalised and detached member. I want to play on the pitch in Europe, not run up and down the sidelines.
It is in Ireland's economic interest that the EU becomes more efficient in the decisions that it takes. In my opinion, that is what the EU Reform Treaty achieves. - Yours, etc,
Senator LISA McDONALD, Skeffington Street, Wexford.
Madam, - Michael McLoughlin's attempt (January 23rd) to rebut my criticisms of EU institutions and policies is marred by inaccuracies and irrelevancies.
The fact that "The EU remains the largest aid donor to the Palestinian people" in no way modifies its policy of unconditional support for the Israeli rogue state. The latter support is political, the former charitable. In effect, EU hand-outs to the Palestinians help to finance the occupation and render the 4th Geneva Convention a dead letter by relieving Israel of its obligation to meet the needs of those under its control.
The suggestion that "the EU has pressurised Israel into a major climbdown on its blockade of Gaza" is rendered laughable by the assertion of John Ging, the Irish head of the UN aid agency in Gaza, that Israeli's cosmetic concessions "would not be sufficient to head off a humanitarian disaster". Mr McLoughlin's claim that "EU policy on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is. . .not cohesive and united and that member-states take independent stances" doesn't stand up to analysis.
Individual states certainly sing from different hymn-sheets at a purely rhetorical level, with Ireland conspicuous for its sanctimonious protestations of support for the Palestinians. The Union as a political entity, however, is fully in harmony with the US in its determination to push Israel's agenda in violation of international law, and to grant Israel trading privileges in flagrant violation of the human rights clause of the Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement.
Finally, Mr McLoughlin's suggestion that this is now my "principal gripe with the Lisbon Treaty" has no basis in fact. The Lisbon Treaty is a confidence trick on every level. - Yours, etc,
RAYMOND DEANE, Fuerth, Bavaria, Germany.