Dear Editor,
While I have respect for Mr O' Neachtain and his good work in Europe, I feel that he is wrong on the Lisbon issue.

In his letter, he states that the Referendum Commission was 'recently' set up to provide information about the Lisbon Treaty. Why wasn't it set up over eight months ago and then widely publicised in the media and in communities throughout Ireland? Why has it been left to the last few weeks, the last minute and why do so few Irish people know about the Referendum commission and its web site?

He mentioned the Dept of Foreign Affairs; why do so few Irish people know about the Dept of Foreign affairs' web site about the Lisbon Treaty? Has there been provision made for those people who don't use the internet or are unable to use the internet?

Pamphlets and leaflets about the Lisbon Treaty may have been published and 'widely distributed' last February but how is it that the vast majority of Irish people still do not know what the Lisbon Treaty contains and entails?

The Joint Oireachtas Commitee is holding 'plenary sittings' on the Lisbon Treaty. Isn't it a bit late for holding plenary sittings with the referendum so near? Shouldn't you and your government colleagues have publicised and held these plenary sittings at city/borough councils around Ireland at the design and planning stage of the Lisbon Treaty? This would be real democracy and would emulate the town-hall meetings, which gave birth to modern democracy in New England, the USA and throughout the world. We should not be having useless 'talk-shop' plenary sittings after the fact when the Lisbon Treaty has already been signed and sealed and ready to be shoved down people's throats. Several democratic principles are being ignored and undermined here. This has the ring of dictatorship about it.

He mentions that The National Forum on Europe will be holding public meetings; why weren't they held over the last six months and widely publicised?

He mentions the Institute of European Affairs and its web site, but how many ordinary Irish people know about this organisation and its web site and, again, what about those people who don't use the internet?

Research released by the independent body set up to inform people about the Lisbon Treaty shows that 1 in 20 people believe that they understand the treaty and two thirds say that they do not understand it all. Now, Mr Neachtain I think that this proves my point. And I'm sure other independent and honest polls and research will verify and re-verify this. There is an appalling democratic deficit here. Could you please contact your government brethren and do two things: (i) publicise this treaty more, so that it reaches every family, person, community, school and workplace in the country; and (ii) give the Irish people more time, at least six more months, to read, understand, evaluate, discuss and debate the treaty.

Yours sincerely,
John Lohan,
Galway

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