Madam, – Being paid close to €100,000 a year, almost three times the average industrial wage, six times the minimum wage, and 10 times the dole payments, TDs are divorced from the real hardship that ordinary people are enduring and the struggle to make ends meet. Labour’s first move when in government must be to cut TDs’ salary to a level more appropriate to socialist representatives of working families. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Surely the incoming government should now seek to apply the 90 per cent “bankers bonus tax” to the lump sums to be paid to outgoing ministers, considering their collective failure to protect the taxpayers is every bit as odious as the failure of bank bosses’ to protect their shareholders. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The collapse of the Green Party is of little surprise to most commentators. Never in the history of the State has such a small party done so much damage in such a short time. Apart from the carbon tax and wagging the government dog in any direction it desired, it hit the motor industry with such ferocity that it cost at least 40,000 to 50,000 people their livelihoods and rubbed out many fine businesses without a second glance. Never mind the consequences to their families, employees or their assets. It has amazed me that not a single commentator has referred to this fact.
As a parting legacy they have wiped out the value of thousands of vehicles of citizens who paid punitive VRT rates and are now saddled with horrendous motor tax rates on vehicles they cannot afford to replace. But it’s a funny old thing politics: I doubt very much if the new government partners will do a thing to reverse these punitive green measures and help create and save jobs in this vital industry. I am sure the motor trade will shed few tears for the Green taliban, but will say good riddance. – Is mise,
Madam,– Brendan Linnane writes (February 28th), “It would be absurd for us to vote in Irish elections when we do not live in Ireland, do not pay Irish income tax and do not pay Irish VAT”. Mr Linnane misses the point. There are hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland who reside there, pay tax and VAT, but who nevertheless have no right to vote.
Voting rights are derived from citizenship and not from financial commitments. As an Irish citizen abroad, I have no right to vote in the country where I reside, nor in my own country; apart from EU Parliament elections I am effectively disenfranchised. Perhaps countries should allow residents (those paying tax, etc) a right to vote on issues which affect them and their families, without citizenship. However, as long as citizenship is the main criterion then all citizens should have the right to vote. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Surely the incoming government should give attention, in due course, to the nonsense of allowing Independent candidates to stand for election to Dáil Éireann.
The huge number in the present Dáil, each with his/her own agenda, is ridiculous. These people cannot have any great input into the running of the country. It is parish-pump politics gone mad.
Apart from that, the cost to the exchequer of printing ballot papers (Wicklow is a prime example), to accommodate large numbers of irrelevant candidates and the extra work in counting and recounting cannot be afforded in present day Ireland. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Eamonn Walsh writes that it’s time to get back to plain English ((February 28th). It’s a big ask, going forward. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Given their hard line on the EU-IMF bailout, their established anti-war sentiments and their resistance to charges for refuse collection, would it be fair to say that the United Left Alliance’s manifesto consists of: Bombing the bondholders, binning the bomb-holders and bonding with the binholders? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I was of the opinion that Ivana Bacik favoured having a quota for women candidates. Rather strange then to read that one of her aides is quoted as saying, with reference to the distribution of her votes, that “It’s bad enough losing. Helping Hanafin to get elected would have been too much to bear” (Home News, February 28th). So much for sisterly support! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Please spare a thought for Dick Roche (Breaking News, March 1st). How unfortunate to lose the same seat twice in one election! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Am I the only one outraged by the remarks made by ex-TD John O’Donoghue during his elimination speech at the count centre for Kerry South in Killarney at the weekend? He referred to the irony that he had helped to provide the building (Home News, March 1st)! As Minister for Sport he had indeed spread the largesse of the Irish taxpayer around his constituency like confetti. I am amazed that politicians of his ilk still don’t get the message – despite the drubbing of his party – that this type of politics is exactly what the people voted against and will not accept any more. Most people are now looking for good honest politics and an end to croneyism, nod-and-wink and selfishness of the “old” parish-pump politics.
I say good riddance to the old gombeenism and sincerely hope that the new lot may have “got the message” and serve the people accordingly. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – Next week a new ceann comhairle will be put in place for the Dáil. Is it possible that in the interests of reform, both potential new government partners Fine Gael and Labour would for the first time allow a secret ballot for the election of this position by all members of the Dáil? – Is mise,
Madam, – Fourteen years too late, but at least Fianna Fáil has gone – hopefully for the duration of my lifetime.
It has left a trail of destruction behind it the likes of which has never been experienced in the Republic of Ireland, and has broken the backs, bank accounts and hearts of many, many people.
I sincerely hope that the new taoiseach ensures that one of his first tasks is to cut their pensions to the minimum so that all those who have lost their seats know just what it’s like to be unemployed and maybe even insecure about their financial futures, like many of us. I, and many others I imagine, would also welcome a severe cut to his own salary and the salaries of his Cabinet.
Shame on the lot of those Fianna Fáil(ures). I think they still don’t fully understand the reason for their demise . – Yours, etc,
Madam, – It now looks certain that Fine Gael and the Labour party will form the next government. That being the case, they will have to justify the large increase in support, which they both got from the voters. The best way they can do that is to quickly devise an honest, realistic and credible jobs plan that will help to create tangible, realistic long term employment, for unemployed people.
Up until now, such plans have mostly been designed to artificially reduce the headline unemployment figure and have provided low quality, low-skill training and experience.
This can’t happen this time. Such an approach is extremely negative and is also insulting and disrespectful towards unemployed people. Any new government-sponsored training/placement and “work for welfare” schemes need to be sharply focused and provide progression to tangible, long-term employment. They also need to be of relatively short duration, ie three to six months. A large percentage of unemployed people, such as myself, are highly skilled in various fields: it doesn’t take us long to learn the ropes of a new skill or a new job!
As an unemployed person, I earnestly hope and pray that the new government rapidly devises a credible and successful jobs plan along the lines set out above, but I’m not holding my breath. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Spare a thought for the three failed Marys. – Yours, etc,