Are we now out of step with rest of EU?

MICHEÁL MARTIN (July 15) denies we will be voting for the same Lisbon package and claims four things have changed.

If so, surely this must mean all EU states will have to reconsider their positions as the Irish people, according to Mr Martin, will be voting on a different treaty from the rest of Europe. At the June European council, four ambiguous points in the treaty were ratified. Nothing was added to or removed from it. Mr Martin refers on more than one occasion to democracy – if he is so concerned about democracy, why are we voting again on this treaty?

Jack O’Loughlin