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Originally Posted by perseus Ireland has benefited more than anyone out of Europe. Is it reasonable to take the bits you want and leave the others? Are they biting the hand that feeds it? Perhaps Ireland are just blaming their current economic woes on Europe whilst in fact it is little to do with it. Interestingly it was mainly the left wing poor sector of the electorate that voted no. |
You raise a good question, will the EU continue to funnel huge sums of cash Irelands way now, seems waiting until you are low on money may not be the best time to lose your wallet.
You would have to wonder whether the EU will honour things like:
- Northern Ireland is to receive € 165.7 million from the Fund from 2007-2013.
- € 225 million of investment from the EU for border region reconciliation.
- € 192 million of investment from the EU for economic and infrastructure development.
- EU will be contributing €171 million to the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme for 2007-2013.
- € 3.8 billion from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) will provide support for the fisheries sector, including adaptation of the fleet, processing and marketing of fishery products and the development of sustainable fisheries.
I have a strong suspicion that 5-10 years down the track this discussion will start with "A Belgian, Frenchmen and Irishman walk into a bar..."
http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/ab..._2007-2013.pdf
Well what do you know...
Second EU Vote Would Damage Ireland-Minister Irish voters almost wrecked EU plans for eastward expansion in 2001 by rejecting the Nice treaty.
A second Irish referendum on the European Union's reform treaty would cause more damage to Ireland after the accord was soundly rejected by voters this week, minister Conor Lenihan said on Saturday. Friday's "No" vote, in the only country of the 27 to hold a referendum, was a humiliation for Ireland's political leaders, plunging the bloc into a crisis of confidence three years after the French and Dutch rejected the EU constitution. Lenihan, a junior minister in Ireland's government, said the "No" vote on the treaty, designed to overhaul the EU's creaking institutions, had been "very deeply damaging".
"I can't see a situation where we can put this matter again to be quite honest with you because the risk to Europe, and indeed to Ireland, of putting this again is to cause even more damage to our country and to our interests," he told public broadcaster RTE on Saturday. Asked whether a second vote was ruled out, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said late on Friday his first task was to speak with European colleagues who were equally affected.
"I'm not ruling anything in or out or up or down," he said.
Ireland ranks in surveys as one of the bloc's most pro-European states and its now faltering economic boom has been partly driven by EU funding.
Irish voters almost wrecked EU plans for eastward expansion in 2001 by rejecting the Nice treaty, but the government staged a second referendum in which that pact passed.
"I'm not saying I am ruling out the possibility that it could be voted on again," Lenihan said "But I really think it would take a huge amount of effort on the government's, and indeed on Europe's part, to put this question again."
Friday's electoral returns showed the treaty, which failed by a margin of 53.4 to 46.6 percent, faced strong opposition from working class areas which are suspicious of Brussels and of Ireland's political elite.
Other European leaders are pressing ahead with ratification of the treaty. They will meet in Brussels next week for what looks like a crisis summit after the Irish "No" vote.
Irish commentators on Saturday pointed to the unknown implications for Ireland.
"There is a cloud with no silver lining in sight," wrote the Irish Times in an editorial.
The Irish Independent said Ireland's interests would get less attention, with its influence in Europe diminished.
"When the weaknesses consequent on the rejection of the treaty hurt other countries, we will be blamed," it said.
The Irish Examiner, which described the result as a "bloodbath", said the treaty project would go ahead with or without Ireland.
"Will the victory for the 'No' campaign have any more significance than Custer's last stand? Only time will tell," it said.
http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=156223
Still I have to smile when we have one poster stating that the the result is good because the EU are socialists when they majority support for the no vote came from what are predominantly Ireland's socialists.