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Dear Editor,
Geraldine Mc Dermott (Letters Wednesday18 June) is correct, the Galway Alliance Against War (GAAW) did not issue a statement describing Deputy Higgins as 'dishonest' in relation to his stand on the Lisbon Treaty. Rather, the comment arose in an exchange of emails on a whole range of issues between your able reporter Deirdre O'Shaughnessy and myself. I foolishly assumed it was all off-the-record.
GAAW is a broad church and Geraldine is not alone in rightly disagreeing with my comments. GAAW played a central role in the Galway No campaign and there were other members who were equally annoyed with my blunder, as it gave Deputy Higgins a half page in your paper on the eve of the poll to argue for a Yes-vote. Curiously, he squandered it. Like his fellow Yes campaigners throughout the campaign, he did not deal with the arguments, such as why a self-proclaimed anti-war TD would support a treaty bristling with military clauses?
There was no malicious intent in my comment about Deputy Higgins. It was, in fact, a backhanded compliment. Conscious of the man's intelligence and erudition, I was certain he could not fail to see what lies behind the Lisbon Treaty. Indeed, in that email I wrote that I was 'shocked' by his stand.
The Lisbon Treaty is a constitution for an undemocratic Federal Europe, a political juggernaut that will be controlled by the big states and will not be in the interests of the people of Ireland or of Europe. And this constitution contains 20 pages focussing on the development of the armed wing of this new EU – something Deputy Higgins never once referred to in any public statement that I saw.
I stand over my honest remarks to your reporter. I am tired of the machinations of our over-exalted politicians. The hypocritical u-turn of the Greens on Shannon Airport was the last straw.
The Euro Federalists do not take 'NO' for an answer. So the Irish electorate, just like the French and Dutch, will be ignored. There will be some tinkering with this treaty, but it will be forced upon us again. Brian Cowen might be a bully on his home patch, but when amongst the big boys of Europe he is decidedly a wimp. So, Deputy Higgins has an opportunity to follow the lead given by Galway's Labour voters in this first Lisbon referendum and start defending Irish democracy now.
Yours etc,
Niall Farrell,
Oranmore,
Co. Galway
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