Paddy isn’t being told what’s really going on

Minister Lucinda Creighton tells us that the Government would have no difficulty in holding a referendum on any new EU treaty on the consolidation of fiscal policy, the so-called “fiscal compact”.

Indeed, the minister tells us that they would put forward a “strong case and clear and cogent, convincing argument” in support of a yes vote.

Can I suggest to Ms Creighton that she begin her campaign for a clear and cogent argument by contacting her cabinet colleagues, Michael Noonan and Leo Varadkar, as a matter of some urgency.

Mr Varadkar’s talk of “financial bombs going off in Dublin” only convinces me that we are to be dragged into the gutter and subjected to the most base argumentation, designed only to frighten people.

Perhaps Ms Creighton’s biggest challenge will be to persuade her cabinet colleagues to stop deliberately misrepresenting the facts in any debate on a constitutional referendum.

Enda Kenny famously told us that “Paddy likes to know what’s going on” and that he would be truthful with the Irish people with regard to matters that affected us all. Mr Kenny also tells us that he has “no fear” of a referendum being held on any new EU treaty.

Given the behaviour of some members of his cabinet so far, I have considerable fear that we will all be taken for fools in any referendum campaign, and that any debate will be peppered with terminological inexactitudes of the greatest magnitude, or “big lies” to all the simple “Paddies” out there.

Declan Doyle

Lisdowney

Kilkenny