Minister sparks row in Ireland on future in EU

Irish Arts Minister Sile de Valera

DUBLIN, Republic of Ireland (CNN) -- Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern is under fire after one of his senior ministers made an outspoken attack on the influence of the European Union, saying it encroached on Irish traditions and culture.

Arts minister Sile de Valera -- granddaughter of the leader of the Irish rebellion against Britain and later its president, Eamon de Valera -- said in a speech in Boston, Massachusetts, that Brussels directives were sometimes unsuitable for Ireland.

"We have found that directives and regulations agreed in Brussels can often seriously impinge on our identity, culture and traditions," she said.

"The bureaucracy of Brussels does not always respect the complexities and sensitivities of member states," she said, adding that Ireland should exercise "a more vigilant, more questioning attitude to the European Union."

In remarks likely to cause concern in Brussels, she said she "would not necessarily favour" further European integration which was "not necessarily in our interests."

The Arts minister's speech was seen as a departure from the Irish cabinet's staunchly pro-European stance and a political shock -- the Irish Times carrying the headline: "De Valera shatters years of silence over Europe."

But her remarks provoked a bitter political row.

Labour leader Ruairi Quinn accused de Valera of "little-Ireland paranoia" and said that she represented a "new strain of Euro-scepticism" in Fianna Fail which was a direct challenge to the Government's position on EU enlargement.

A Labour Party spokesman told CNN.com that the remarks had been made with a view to coming elections in Ireland, accusing Fianna Fail of "trying to tap into the Eurosceptic view that the Tories have tapped into in Britain."

Fine Gael's European spokesman Bernard Durkan attacked Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Ahern for not immediately repudiating her comments and accused him of "leading from the rear."

He said: "Sile de Valera's comments were designed to fly an emotional kite to gauge the level of potential electoral support among Irish people as the country is faced with an influx of European refugees and a net outflow of contributions to the EU."

Taoiseach Ahern: "welcomes debate"

But a spokesman for the Taoiseach told CNN.com that he welcomed the "thought-provoking" remarks and the chance to have a debate about Ireland and its future with the EU.

The Taoiseach had set out Ireland's position on the EU in an address to the Institute of European Affairs in March, the spokesman said, and had hoped for a wider debate on European issues then.

One of the points Ahern made in the March address was that Dublin would resist any moves not to be able to nominate one of the 20 EU commissioners -- particularly if the number of commissioners was limited while membership rose from 15 countries to as many as 28.

Deputy Prime Minister Mary Harney wrote a signed article for The Irish Times on Wednesday welcoming "a proper debate in Ireland about the future of further European integration."

She said Dublin must not cede control over taxation policies and said the future was not in a United States of Europe "but in a union of independent sovereign states."

De Valera "elaborated" on her remarks, restating her backing for EU enlargement but saying Ireland must decide how it fits into the union as the issues and priorities shift to Eastern Europe.

Until recently opinion polls showed Irish citizens topping the table for those believing membership of the EU is a "good thing" at 75 percent. The figure is 41 percent for Germany and only 25 percent for the UK.

But its clear that the falling value of the euro has encouraged more scepticism -- support for the single currency is high at 63 percent, but that is 15 percent down on a year ago.

Ireland has been a big beneficiary of EU funds since joining the EEC in 1973 and its booming "Celtic Tiger" economy has enabled it to catch up with its competitors elsewhere on the continent.

But that very strength of the economy means Ireland will become a net contributor to EC funds by 2006.

The attack on EU directives will strike a chord in some rural areas, where tightened EU health regulations have affected small businesses, particularly in the food and dairy industries.

There is also some resistance among the Irish public to enlargement, with support well below the EU average at 42 percent.

At an official level the treatment of Austria has been seen as heavy handed. It is possible the next Irish government could include members of the nationalist party Sinn Fein, a political ally of the Irish Republican Army.

From CNN.com Europe

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Ireland and the EU: address by the Taoseach
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