Ahern has chance to modify treaty to Ireland's benefit, says Lisbon critic
Eighty-ninth plenary session of the National Forum On Europe, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, 6 March 2008
Jens-Peter Bonde MEP, Co-Chairman of the Independence/Democracy Group in the European Parliament (Transcript)Opening Comment by Forum Chairman, Senator Maurice hayes
"Before we start today's business, I have to report to the Forum the sad news of the death of one of our colleagues Mr Dick Humphreys, who represents EU Reform who has been a very assiduous attender at our meetings and at the public meetings we have had around the country. It was a great shock to all of us to hear of his sudden death. I'd ask you to pause for a moment of reflection."
Senator Maurice Hayes
MP3 of Mr Bonde's opening remarks
MP3 of Mr Bonde's responses to questions
MP3 of Mr Bonde's closing remarks
Madam, - Lucinda Creighton, Fine Gael Spokesperson on European Affairs, makes an eloquent case for Lisbon (January 22nd). Unfortunately, she also makes a number of errors, including her suggestion that under Lisbon, the proposed presidents of Europe would be elected as democratically as our Taoiseach. The Taoiseach has to be elected by popular vote before he or she can be appointed in the first place. Under Lisbon, however, neither the presidents of the Commission or the Council nor the proposed EU Foreign Minister would have been elected by popular vote, but they would be given the power to make very important decisions for the 500 million citizens of the EU member-states. This is just one of Lisbon's proposals that fails the democratic accountability test. We welcome Mary O'Rourke's support for the demand, launched publicly on the website www.EUReform.net on January 11th, for a reader-friendly summary of Lisbon's proposals. Such a summary would help to reduce the number of false claims in this debate. We believe the Irish electorate is sufficiently mature to read and understand Lisbon's proposals without propaganda from either side. - Yours, etc, DICK HUMPHREYS, EUReform, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin.
News One
Madam, - The Government has not yet announced the date for the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, but prominent Eurofederalists have already begun their campaign. Saturday's Irish Times carried the latest broadside - this time from Noel Whelan. Mr Whelan wants to set the agenda for the forthcoming debate. He says the issue is whether or not we want to continue to be fully signed-up members of the EU. This line supports Charlie McCreevy's threat that if we reject the Lisbon Treaty we will be the laughing stock of Europe. France and Holland, both of whom have already rejected the main provisions of this treaty in their own referendums, have not become the laughing stock of Europe, and they certainly continue to be fully signed-up members of the EU. I trust that when it comes to a vote, Irish voters will not be intimidated into voting in favour of this Treaty. It would be better if Eurofederalists ceased using such bully-boy tactics. They give a very unfavourable impression of the EU. - Yours, etc, DICK HUMPHREYS, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin.