The people decide – not the politicians

FOREIGN Minister Micheál Martin obviously doesn’t get how democracy works. He says that “parties opposed to the (Lisbon) treaty have no mandate to continue working against the best interests of the country”.

Mr Martin would do well to remember a few things. The Crotty case is the reason we have referenda on these things because the court found it was not correct for the Dáil alone to decide such issues.

Therefore, TDs and ministers have no mandate on this question, unless given one by agreement of the people in a referendum. And in that referendum, Micheál Martin’s vote is worth neither more nor less than yours or mine.

Under Article 6.1 of the constitution, all powers derive from the people who have the final decision on questions of national policy in accordance with the common good.

Now, if ours is the final decision, where does Fianna Fáil claim to have some “mandate” to override the decision of the people.

Surely the common good is not served by governments rerunning referenda over and over until they get the answer they want, effectively making a referendum into an expensive rubber stamp of government policy while making a mockery of the Crotty judgment.

Tim Hourigan

Cedar Court

Kennedy Park

Limerick