Sir, - The assertion on the Opinion page of Wednesday's Irish Times that I "politely told the European Commission to get lost" is nonsense.
In the Financial Times article from which the inference was drawn, I reasserted Ireland's long-standing commitment to the EMU and Single Market projects, and reaffirmed our belief that our policies were correct for economic stability.
I also suggested the Commission and other member-states, could usefully study together the dynamics of small, open economies within Economic and Monetary Union.
Far from telling anyone to "get lost", this constructive proposal suggests how we can better understand each other and achieve our shared goals in the EU. - Yours, etc., Mary Harney, TD, Tanaiste, Government Buildings, Dublin 2.