Madam, - The Lisbon Treaty is not some bogeyman of a document that will instantaneously take away all our sovereignty. The campaign from the No side has been disingenuous, at times bordering on the fantastical. Wild statements without any foundation have been thrown around like confetti at a wedding in an attempt to stoke up fear among the populace.
Put plainly, this treaty is good for Ireland. We have nothing to fear from it. Since our accession to the then EC in 1973 this country has benefited enormously from membership of the Union.
There is no reason for us to adopt an insecure, insular attitude - why should we? We are a confident and self-assured country, and should be willing to embrace our membership of the EU.
Co-operation, not isolation - that is what we must strive to achieve. As a famous politician once said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself". - Yours, etc,
MICHELLE HOBAN,
Rathroe,
Ballina,
Co Mayo.
****
A chara, - The myth being spread by the Labour Party that the Charter of Fundamental Rights affixed to the Lisbon Treaty will give workers the right to strike and bargain collectively has to be dispelled.
The Charter states that these rights are applicable only "in accordance with national laws and practices". So basically we need the right to strike and collectively bargain in our own Constitution before workers can ever avail of these basic necessities.
It seems there are some in the trade union movement who have been falsely swayed by the "potential" of what is in the charter. They believe that if people endorse these fundamental rights by voting Yes then our own Supreme Court cannot disregard them when making rulings.
This view is wrong. If a right is a right only in accordance with national laws and practices, then no matter who calls it a right, the adjudicators of our national laws do not have to see it as one. I won't even get into the lunacy of the charter's terminology of a "fundamental" right. A right is a right is a right, unless your Government doesn't believe it so.
So, what if we say Yes and endorse this charter? Well, we will become dependent on the European Court of Justice to protect what's in the charter and its record to date has not been sterling.
This charter says you have the right to strike - but the EU says you can only use it proportionately and not when it interferes with employer's rights to profit.
Thank you, but no thank you, Europe. - Yours, etc,
ARTHUR MORGAN TD,
Williamson's Place,
Dundalk,
Co Louth.
****
Madam, - I recall an old song which suggested that it was always better to "accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative". This might be a good theme in the present Lisbon debate.
There is a clear tendency to put forward negative interpretations of various aspects of the treaty. We are told that they are backed by the opinion of the unnamed legal - or, in the case of some of the more bizarre assertions, - theological authorities. And they are invariably based on some form of conspiracy theory in which even the most innocent phrase is presented as opening the way to unspeakable threats and disasters.
Thus the benign concept of EU citizenship - on which the extensive treaty provisions on the democratic life of the Union, on social dialogue, transparency and the important citizens' initiative are based - is presented as a trap. The myth of the all-pervasive superstate or "godless evil empire" has been built around the treaty's clear guarantees of non-discrimination, freedom of movement and extensive political rights.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights which, together with the treaty's comprehensive assertion of its values, establishes the European Union as a union for citizens and for their most cherished rights and aspirations, is represented as threatening a veritable deluge of horrors - to the extent that one group extolling Godly principles is telling women that the EU will, on passage of the treaty, introduce a Chinese style one-child-family law!
Of course, that might run counter to the long predicted arrival of conscription for the Union's imperial army. But the more negative ideas and distortions the better.
The fact is that Lisbon contains positive reforms across the fields of democratic institutions and transparency, citizens' rights, social progress and enhanced capacity to deal with the challenges of the 21st century - combating climate change, global poverty and trafficking, enhancing international peace, stability and security.
These aspects must be accentuated in the weeks ahead and the negative misrepresentations eliminated. - Yours, etc,
TONY BROWN,
Bettyglen,
Raheny,
Dublin 5.
****
Madam, - Having spoken to a wide range of people, I am now quite confident that the No vote will prevail in the referendum. This optimism is based on the feeling of most people I have spoken to that in the past 30-odd years the EU has created social bureaucracies of such extreme levels of scale, complexity and interdependence that they now exceed our capacity to comprehend and, therefore to manage.
This is coupled with growing protests from small business people, especially farmers, that we are becoming an excessively regulated society. This over-regulation has caused unreasonable demands upon government at all levels.
Irish people and thier fellow-citizens in Europe need to reflect on the issues requiring real accountability from the EU. It is unacceptable, for example, for MEPs to hide behind their demands for privacy when asked to account for their staff salaries and expenses and unethical to fire auditors who expose the shortcomings. The EU wants us all to balance our books when they are not able to balance their own or even account for the millions of euro that disappear each day and go unaccounted for.
I will be doing my duty as a citizen of Ireland and a European citizen when I vote No on June 12th. - Yours, etc,
JAMES A CASEY,
Ballydarrig,
Cahirciveen,
Co Kerry.
****
Madam, - Any doubt or indecision I may have had regarding how to vote in the Lisbon Treaty was thankfully sorted for me in the form of a flyer from an organisation called "Cóir". It "reliably" informed me that if the Lisbon Treaty is accepted it will lead to legalised prostitution, gay marriages and legalised abortion being foisted upon this dear little country of ours. Incredible.
With this priceless knowledge at my disposal I will endeavour to be first in the queue on polling day at my local booth in order to cast a resounding Yes vote.
Thank you, Cóir, for putting me wise on these important issues. - Yours, etc,
NORMAN MILLS,
Shanliss Grove,
Santry,
Dublin 9.
****
Madam, - The cover illustration on the Government's EU Reform Treaty booklet makes an eloquent, if unintended, statement. It shows a woman straining to the limit to touch one of the 12 EU stars. For me, it symbolises how out-of-reach and unaccountable the Union is becoming.
Inside the booklet I read of the new "citizens' initiative" which will allow citizens who can achieve a petition with at least 1 million signatures to request the European Commission to propose EU legislation.
The language says it all! - Yours, etc,
COLM RODDY,
Bayside Walk,
Dublin 13.
****
Madam, - Is it not ironic to hear Sinn Féin saying No to power sharing? - Yours, etc,
JOHN SHAW,
Ennis,
Co Clare.
****
Madam, - Full marks to the Labour Youth for speaking out against the Lisbon Treaty. It is refreshing to see young people standing up to the big boys and girls who are sleepwalking into a European federal state. - Yours, etc,
FINIAN McGRATH, TD,
Dáil Éireann,
Dublin 2.