So far seven Irish MEP’s have signed the 10 point pledge on LGBT rights issues.

So Liam Aylward, Mairead McGuinness, Gay Mitchell (remember him?), Pat (The Cope) Gallagher, Brian Crowley, whenever you are ready?

Photo earlier today from the Informal Heads of State meeting in Brussels. Pictures from the Council of the European Union.

Enda and Nicolas Sarkozy exchanged strong words tonight.  Do you think he was deep in thought practising his french in the picture? ‘Paddy voudrais savoir ce que se passe, M. Sarkozy! Ne touchez pas notre régime fiscal’.

And there are more pictures from today. Some awaiting your captions.

They asked some of our MEPs to speak on a video about the role of young people in European Decision Making and send good wishes.

It would be inappropriate to suggest a drinking game but hell, one milkshake for mention of facebook, another for twitter, an icecream sundae for Gay Mitchell’s description of networking. And a knickerbocker glory for remembering what Liam Aylward looks like.

They made a bid video and I’m sure you’ll find something to entertain you in it!

The debate can be viewed here with speeches from members both for and against European agreements which would assist couples gain recognition of their relationships when they move between member states. The EU Commission do not appear to have any plans on introducing directives enforcing recognition across member states despite the efforts of MEP’s.

No speeches from Irish MEP’s (though Sean Kelly MEP was around that evening as I watched the session live and he was busy speaking on the issues of freedom of the press and the rights of older people in matters concerning long term care). However there was an interesting debate with openly LGBT MEP’s and their supporters questioning the fears of Polish and Italian members amongst others who intimated that if the EU required member states to recognise all relationships (eg registered partnerships in Sweden being legally recognised in Bulgaria) that the sky would fall in.

If you are interested in the work of the European Parliament on LGBT rights you should read about the work of the LGBT Intergroup which is a grouping of 90 MEP’s from over 20 member states who are committed to the issues. There is a new podcast available which discusses the group and it’s work and the latest issues in the Parliament. The Irish members are Prionsias de Rossa and Nessa Childers. Maybe the next time you bump into the other ten MEP’s you can ask why they are not members?

I think it’s fair to say that Senator de Burca has few friends in the Wicklow Times or in Wicklow for that matter if you read the piece.

So another Seanad By-Election coming up? And a very nice €120k salary at a time when salaries here are being cut all round her? I suppose a green politician’s got to do what a green politician’s got a do given the poor poll results expected in 2012.

The Wicklow Times could be wrong but they were very much on the button the last time the Senator moved.

Living in Dublin City Centre it’s not difficult to find Cóir on the ground so I knew I would be able to try to explore it further – whether I got any answers would be another thing!.

So at the GPO yesterday it was not difficult to get a word with Brian T. Hickey a principle spokesman from Cóir.  He said that the canvasser should not have said tha tabout being put down but that it was possible that Euthanasia would be introduced because 2 EU countries have it and the European Court could rule that Ireland should have it too. He scrambled a bit as he introduced what I call the Cóir question mark – it might happen because Cóir say it might even if everyone else says it won’t.  Further questioned Hickey could not speak to the specific parts of the Lisbon Treaty that protect people with disabilities.  I was then approached by another Cóir campaigner who overheard me to say that I was lucky to be alive because the HSE were bringing doctors over to train doctors and nurses here in Euthanasia.  As another Cóir campaigner tried to put a sticker on my mobility scooter I backed away and revved up and took off as fast as I could.

On the basis of this and earlier rubbish about how the Treaty will lock up people with mental health conditions or intellectual disabilities I think we can say that ‘Sarah Palin Death panel‘ politics have arrived in Ireland.  Now I can hear my regular commenter Steve White and others saying already to stop criticising Cóir and talk about the treaty – so I will.  I don’t believe the EU is going to be killing off disabled people anytime soon.

Upon closer examination the Lisbon Treaty is very positive from a disability perspective. Specific references are made in the first article to respect of human dignity, human rights and equality and non-discrimination. Consultation with disabled people becomes enshrined in all processes – participatory democracy means that civil society and representative organisations will be consulted in all aspects of EU action. (Aside – It therefore is very important for organisations of disabled people to ensure that they are consulted rather than solely the organisations for people with disabilities and organisations which exist to provide services for people with disabilities.)

Mainstreaming of all areas of EU policy (Article 10) will include examination of the effects on people with disabilities.  (This exists for gender mainstreaming for some years already.)

In 2007 people with disabilities campaigned to sign 1 million signatures to call for the EU to broaden it’s anti-discrimination legislation and policy remit to specifically name people with disabilities. This campaign has influenced the development of the Citizens Initiative which means that other issues can be campaigned for by citizens (One million signatories) and can lead to the Commission bringing forward legislation if within the scope of the EU.

In the Charter for Fundamental Rights (the one that Cóir fear so much and some on the Yes and No sides say means not a lot and others say it means so much) we see Article 26  – Integration of persons with disabilities

The Union recognises and respects the right of persons with disabilities to benefit from measures designed to ensure their independence, social and occupational integration and participation in the life of the community.

So  there we are empowerment, independence, with an added dose of ‘nothing about us without us’.  Why are Cóir so afraid it? Or Article 25 which protects older peoples rights to participate in society? The reality is that Cóir and other anti treaty groups don’t want protection of the rights of anyone by the European Union and it’s institutions.

I’d be ecstatic if there really was a debate about people with disabilities and the way we are protected or not in Irish society and in the European Union. Instead we continue to be patronised and manipulated and ignored. There is no disability movement to debate or lead calls for change and political parties use the language of oppression and care and cost to control our lives.

The arrival of the politics of the death panel to use disability and fear of being killed because of Lisbon is therefore unsurprising in the void that has been created in denying people with disabilities respect, autonomy and dignity. Something that Cóir would like to wish to continue because fundamentally they are against the rights of the individual in any sphere.

Libertas founder and chairman Declan Ganley spoke at a conference at the weekend regarding faith and public duty entitled  ‘Render Unto Caesar’ — Invitation to a Public Conference on Faith, Politics and Education.  The conference was organised by the John Paul II Society and cosponsored by Human Life International. The full programme is available here. Other speakers included Lucinda Creighton, Fine Gael TD and Senator Jim Walsh (Fianna Fáil) and independent Senator Ronan Mullen and Susan Phillips (Previously covered on Maman Poulet).

Chairman Ganley confirmed that plans were proceeding for the formation of Libertas in all member states of the EU – despite the best efforts of the Brussels elite who seemingly are out to get him.  But Saturday was playing to an audience who were not in a nobbling frame of mind.

This weekend in remarks specifically targetted for his audience he seems to be more open on the nature of his beliefs and their impact on his political ideology. (We’ve had a few hints on matters to do with the Chairman’s faith and stance on moral issues before.)  I know Libertas and political ideology were not easy bedfellows heretofore – maybe we are moving beyond ‘making it up as we go alongolgy’ or being vague when it suited him and nailing some colours to the mast.

He also assured delegates of his opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, referring to earlier opening remarks in which he quoted from Pope Benedict’s recent encyclicals, Deus Caritas Est and Spe Salvi , “with their message of God’s love�.

Reflecting on Ireland’s history he continued, “our faith and our rights are strong today because we have suffered the yoke of oppression . . . we grew stronger and we grew free�.

He queried whether “we have lost something� and noted the address of the pope at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome immediately prior to his election in April 2005. There, the pope criticised a “dictatorship of moral relativism . . . in a world where faith in God is seen as a threat�, Mr Ganley said.

He went on to criticise “a media obsessed with breaking down the domestic church . . . and the family� and reminded delegates that “the essence of our faith is that all life is sacred�. He concluded: “Yes we must, we must take risks for truth.�

In the later question-and-answer session, he said any guarantees given by the EU on social and ethical issues “were not worth the paper they are written on�, where the European Court of Justice was concerned.

He continued that: “the laws of the union have primacy over the laws of any member state . . . If there is a conflict, union law rules.�

He continued: “I have been called a liar, a murderer, an arms dealer, a CIA agent, a KGB agent – all of those things, all are filthy lies, but even if [such things were true] it doesn’t change the truth of what we are saying is in this treaty.�

So there you have it – Everyone is out to get him seemingly. It’s all made up. And everything is now a social and ethical issue all of a sudden so that it’s not about personal religious beliefs anymore – but spun as being broader in focus. And if they don’t get their way it’ll be a case of Christianophobia.

]]> http://www.mamanpoulet.com/rendering-unto-caesar-ala-ganley/feed/ 7 http://www.mamanpoulet.com/new-eu-blogging-portal-launched/ http://www.mamanpoulet.com/new-eu-blogging-portal-launched/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:15:32 +0000 Maman Poulet http://www.mamanpoulet.com/?p=741 You may remember that last year I was looking for recommendations for blogs about European Union affairs to read. Yesterday I read via Jon Worth’s blog of the launch of Bloggingportal.eu. It’s a blog syndicator but as opposed to a mere aggregator it has editors which rate posts and summarise them.

We don’t think the EU is a nasty conspiracy, nor do we love everything it does. So if we find something that’s within those rather wide paramaters, and we think it’s interesting, then we include it!

So who’s behind this?
The idea to embark on this project came from Jon Worth, long-time blogger about EU affairs. 2 posts at his Euroblog – reading Euroblogs, and Getting a grip of the European blogosphere – inspired the project.