Ending EU waste will save €10bn
Thomas Whelan (Letters, 01/05) thinks that a reduction of €10bn in the EU budget is not achievable, and suggests Libertas would achieve these reductions by undermining supports to the farming community.
Let me enlighten him. At a time when ordinary families in Ireland are tightening their belts, the EU is spending €2.4bn annually on public relations consultants and advertising. We do not feel this spending is necessary.
Amongst the items purchased by the EU last year with the help of Mr Whelan's taxes was a ski slope in Denmark, built on a perfectly flat piece of ground and on an island where it never snows.
The recipient of the funds actually said "I can't believe they agreed to this". Neither can we.
There was also the matter of the €2m or so spent to train "TV glamour models", or the €22m for swimming pools in the Caribbean. Not to mention the hundreds of millions in gold-plated pension and bonus schemes for EU officials. Ten billion euro in savings is very, very achievable.
With regard to the farming community, they should of course be more concerned that Fianna Fail now support an EU Party committed to "progressive reductions in supports to farmers".
Libertas candidates will campaign to make sure our money is spent wisely. The waste of money in Brussels must come to an end, just as here at home.
John McGuirk
Director of Elections, Libertas Ireland
