Sir, - We, the undersigned, are Fianna Fail cumann members and party activists and fully support all our party's candidates in the forthcoming European Parliament and Local Government elections.
However, we are extremely concerned that this should not be in any way regarded as a reflection of our views on Irish entry into NATO's Partnership for Peace.
The decision to bring Ireland into partnership with a nuclear military alliance is a separate issue demanding careful reflection and is certainly worthy of a referendum of the Irish people. We would hope that FF candidates would share this view, as this would also fulfil the commitment of our party's manifesto of 1997 which stated: "We oppose Irish participation in NATO itself, in NATO-led organisations such as Partnership for Peace or in the Western European Union beyond observer status."
It would also fulfil the promise of our party leader, made in Dail Eireann while in Opposition, which clearly stated: "We would regard any attempt to push Partnership for Peace or participation in Western European Union tasks by resolution through this house without reference to the people, who under our Constitution have the right in final appeal to decide all questions of national policy, as a serious breach of faith and fundamentally undemocratic."
We therefore urge people to vote for their favoured candidates but feel that a referendum on the issue of PfP membership must be granted following the European Parliament and Local Government elections. - Yours, etc.,
Mary O Donnell (Dublin Central); Paddy Lalor (Dublin West); Noel Heaphy (Kildare South); Liz Sheridan (Dublin Central); Eric Byrne (Kildare South);
Botanic Park, Glasnevin, Dublin 9.