Thoughts on Ireland 2008

I have found lots of e-mails from Reform in my inbox lately. They all
fascinate me. Here is my "wish list" of changes I would like to see in
Ireland. Although I am a London resident, I feel I have some interest in the
place. I was born and brought up in Dublin. The official name of my
adopted country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland. Some of my tax money goes to Ireland therefore !

1. Ireland in the here and now - History is history !!
Is too much attention paid to history in Ireland? I would like to see the
present needs of all Irish people wherever they live being attended to.
Perhaps some consideration might be paid to potential future needs as well even?

I believe history is best left to historians. We do not live in the past and we do live now. We are all entitled to read a book or article of
course. We will all form an individual view depending on who we are and
where we come from. I don't feel we should behave badly towards others
because of a book though. I have always felt how little I know really when I
look at the pages of notes and bibliography in history books.

I have friends in both Germany and Poland. I have been looking lately at the
details of the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany
September 12, 1990 and the Treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany
and the Republic of Poland on the confirmation of the frontier between them
which was signed on November 14, 1990 and entered into force with the
exchange of the instruments of ratification on 16 January 1992. The Germans
dropped claims to their former territories east of the Oder Neisse line in
return for the reunification of Germany and the formal ending of the post
1945 4 power occupation. Both Germany and Poland and the people of both states have moved on.

The 1998 agreement between the UK and Ireland is similar. Ireland has
dropped claims to Northern Ireland. Now, Ireland can and should move on. If
I may say so, and perhaps not everyone would agree, I believe the Great
Britain part of the UK has always tended to live in the present and
consequently has moved on already.

2. Respect.
I would like to see all discussions take place in an atmosphere of
politeness, tolerance and mutual respect. So many Irish discussions seem
acrimonious and discourteous sometimes. Irish individuals sometimes appear
to have an almost religious zeal about converting others to their point of
view. This is so unnecessary when diversity of viewpoint is so much more
interesting and valuable.

All Irish people, regardless of origin should have their cultural identity
respected. Do Irish people of British origin feel fully respected in the ROI?

3. ROI new constitution.
I would like to see the ROI write a new constitution. There are so many
amendments now. The 1937 document is too much a document of its time. The
amy sense of this need. The highly technical Lisbon document appears to hold
few of the dangers within it which the ROI No campaign seized on. Would a
Dail vote not have been more appropriate on these issues? Did the Dail
debate the Lisbon Treaty in any detail ?

4. Voice for Irish Diaspora in Irish affairs.
Voices have been raised recently in England questioning the Irish right to
vote in UK affairs. Do Irish citizens living overseas have rights to vote
where they live in all cases?

I would like to see Irish people wherever they live given a right to be
represented in the Oireachtas. After all, those of us living overseas carry
the burden of Irish silliness as well as the kudos of Irish achievements. As
citizens of the ROI, we ought to have some say really. The Senate might be
an appropriate place for such representation rather than the Dail. I would
like to see senators elected directly by the Diapora. Diaspora Senators
ought to be elected by proportional representation from constituencies of
registered overseas Irish citizens similar in size to Dail
constituencies. Irish citizens resident overseas would have the freedom to
exercise a right to register to vote either directly with the Dept of
Foreign Affairs in Dublin or with Irish Diplomatic missions overseas. Only
citizens registered in advance would have the right to vote. Diaspora Senate
elections would take place at the same time as Dail elections. Irish
citizens overseas would have a right to stand as candidates for Diaspora
Senate seats as well.

5. Ending Irish Neutrality.
Ireland has enjoyed a free ride on defence since 1922. In reality, the UK
(including Northern Ireland), the USA and NATO have defended Ireland all
this time. What does neutrality mean these days? Ireland has such close ties
with the USA, the UK, Canada and Western Europe I believe Ireland should
shoulder a little of the defence burden.

6. Commonwealth.
Rejoin ! The Commonwealth is a fine club and membership would be a natural
step for a grown-up Ireland to take. Ireland has such close ties with so
many Commonwealth countries, membership ought to be natural really.

7. Irish territorial re-unification - put it on the long finger !
Reunification is only possible if the people of Northern Ireland wish it.
ROI Irish people have recognised the Irish border officially and
therefore ought to forget about reunification unless political changes in
NI indicate any change there. I am sure everyone would agree the prospect of
such change remains purely hypothetical just now. Nonetheless, perhaps the
ROI might bear in mind at every official level, that NI folk need to be
respected and that legislating for unnecessary difference merely for the
sake of it, is divisive.The status given to the Irish language and Republican iconography may come into that category.

But, in the unlikely event of NI voting for re-unification, as the 2 parts of Ireland have grown so seperate since 1922, my suggestion would be that
only a formal change in sovereignty in Northern Ireland would actually
take place. I would suggest that any Dublin Government taking over
sovereignty of NI from the UK would do well to leave the internal structures
within NI unchanged with any internal change also taking place only if the people of NI wished it. I would envisage the NI Westminster MPs transferring
to the Dail and the UK Government taking over the current role played by the
Irish Government within NI. A sort of "role reversal" might take place
therefore. I would expect suitable transitional financial and other
arrangements would be agreed by the ROI and UK governments without too much
difficulty.

8. Republican Iconography.
Yes - by all means please remove the cult of Republican hero-worship and of
the cult of Republican violence from the official ROI state ideology. This
development would bring about a healthier ROI. I cannot see how the British
who live on the island of Ireland are respected fully when the official
culture of the ROI lauds those who sought and, in a few psychopathic cases,
still seek to kill them. Too many Irish people have suffered because of
these evil cults. De-mythologise the cults and place them in a proper
historical context and keep them there I say ! Russia has removed communist
iconography and Germany has been de-nazified. Germany no longers identifies
with its imperial past either, nor do Austria, Hungary or Turkey. Spain no
longer appears to value the Franco years.The UK takes little official pride
in its imperial past these days and acknowledges imperial shortcomings
openly. Italy accords little respect to Mussolini. France has consigned its
north African colonial adventures to history. Why does neutral peace-loving
Ireland with its horror of joining NATO still feel any need to honour those who preached violence and whose memory continues to inspire violent
attitudes amongst the ill-educated and those with psychopathic personalities
towards the people of its nearest neighbour?

We live in 2008, not 1912.

Jerry Walsh