Irish opinions are worthless when it comes to EU foreign policy - SF

[Pat Mc Larnon]

I have and do read the Treaties. Hence, the reason why I can usually comment accurately on what is in them.

Yes, so do I.

Face it, unless you are trying to suggest that Foreign Ministers can't meet on a bilateral or multilateral basis without having all other Foreign Ministers at the meetings, SF's claims about this particular meeting are nonsense.

I simply see it as an outworking of Lisbon. Ms Ashton, a person who has never held an elected post in her country of origin, sees fit to oversee meetings of selected EU countries about how those sovereign countries see their future role. Ireland, despite all the bluster and promises, is sidelined.
There is no background as to the criteria why the countries invited were so.

Do you really want a situation where, in future, should the Irish and British Foreign Ministers want to have a meeting, they have to have the Foreign Ministers from all the other EU member states in attendance?

I think most of us know that the context of this meeting and the comparison you make isn't viable. Any two countries can meet bilaterally or otherwise. The direct involvement of the EU Foreign Policy chief does create a different scenario from one of a few friends sitting together having a benign chat.

[ibis]

Yes, so do I.

I simply see it as an outworking of Lisbon. Ms Ashton, a person who has never held an elected post in her country of origin, sees fit to oversee meetings of selected EU countries about how those sovereign countries see their future role. Ireland, despite all the bluster and promises, is sidelined.
There is no background as to the criteria why the countries invited were so.

I think most of us know that the context of this meeting and the comparison you make isn't viable. Any two countries can meet bilaterally or otherwise. The direct involvement of the EU Foreign Policy chief does create a different scenario from one of a few friends sitting together having a benign chat.

You're happy enough to completely ignore the fact that this wasn't an EU meeting, but a meeting arranged by the Finnish foreign minister?

Or are you saying that Finland - a sovereign country - cannot invite whom it likes to meetings it arranges? Will you apply the same rule to Ireland?

[Tombo]

In latest news:

Outrage as tiny Donegal village demand Irish Foreign Minister adopt their polciy recommendations.

[Pat Mc Larnon]

You're happy enough to completely ignore the fact that this wasn't an EU meeting, but a meeting arranged by the Finnish foreign minister?

Or are you saying that Finland - a sovereign country - cannot invite whom it likes to meetings it arranges? Will you apply the same rule to Ireland?

I am simply happy enough to point out the presence of Ms Ashton.

[ibis]

I am simply happy enough to point out the presence of Ms Ashton.

So the Finns shouldn't be allowed to invite Ashton unless they invite everyone? Isn't that up to the Finns? Or are they not as sovereign as us?

[SilverSpurs]

What we are seeing is the death by a thousand cuts of our independent foreign policy. Its gradual enough for the likes of Ibis, HBAP etc. to respond with legalese and spin about "nothing new", "already signed up to", "doesnt change anything"........
The foreign policy provisions of Lisbon will take 10-20 years to fully implement. As we have conceded our absolute veto on foreign affairs (we now have a veto on the intitiation of foreign policy) we will be replaced inch by inch by the EU.

[Cassandra Syndrome]

SF have figured out that a country with 1% of the EU population does not contraol our common foreign policy.

Next thing SF will tell us that there is a commissioner for external EU relations, in fact there are two commissioners with various roles re external relations, Kristalina Georgievaand Catherine Ashton.

Without Ireland's yes vote the Lisbon Treaty would not have been ratified. One of the many "guarantees" for a Yes vote was Irish Neutrality. So in the light of this we deserve to a have a representative at that meeting.

[Cassandra Syndrome]

No it didn't - the majority of our increase in unemployment came BEFORE the referendum.

You support a party that is in opposition, you should be throwing stones at the government with the real truth not using their propaganda to defend the Lisbon Treaty.

Unemployment has gone into overdrive. We have mass emigration, people running out of benefits, underemployed or discouraged workers, and people mentally unfit to work as a result of stress. This totals to 750,000 people.

[turdsl]

Why do Fine Gael people always adopt the idea that we are insignificant with our 1%population of Europe,after all we were told they could not move forward without us last year.Fair play to S,F,for making the point we are relevant.

[hiding behind a poster]

Why do Fine Gael people always adopt the idea that we are insignificant with our 1%population of Europe,after all we were told they could not move forward without us last year.Fair play to S,F,for making the point we are relevant.

Who in Fine Gael has said we're insignificant?