Sir, - Minister of State Pat Rabbitte TD has, over the last number of weeks, put out a line: that Fianna Fail will do anything to get back into power, the inference being that we will change our policies to suit the circumstances. Over the last number of weeks, I have endeavoured to have published a statement in answer to this suggestion, but for some reason the statement has not been picked up as being newsworthy. Accordingly, I find it necessary to write to your letters section in the hope that my views will be printed, in the interest of fairness and balance.
The cost to the taxpayers of Democratic Left's inflated crew of advisers, spin doctors and handlers is only part of the price Minister Rabbitte is willing to have us pay to enable him to cling on to power. I would like to remind him that Fianna Fail, over the last ten years, has followed a consistent economic policy, unlike any of the present Government parties. For instance, it is not too long ago that Democratic Left, and most of Labour, were against the Maastricht Treaty and the economic guidelines laid down by it. Now Minister Rabbitte is eulogising Ireland's performance in this regard.
The present Taoiseach and his party were strong critics of the social partnership but now, in government, they will do anything to continue this system first put into being by Fianna Fail back in the late 1980s. I would like to remind Minister Rabbitte that Fianna Fail did not sell its soul, as did Fine Gael and Democratic Left, to form a government. Any time we entered into coalition, it was based on an agreed programme of policy, the vastly greater part of which was Fianna Fail led policy.
To get into bed together, Fine Gael and Democratic Left have each had to undergo huge ideological somersaults. If anyone showed how they are prepared to do anything to get into power, it is those who formerly were at the extremes of the political spectrum.
Economics is not the only area where Fianna Fail have had a consistent policy. The Peace Process is a case in point. Democratic Left's and Fine Gael's policies on this have fluctuated in order to suit the circumstances, much to the detriment of the process.
Recently, Minister Rabbitte must regret issuing a bullish statement on the economy on the same day that over 900 jobs were lost from our country. I would suggest that before he again delves into economic matters, he should get out of his post-Marxist Mere and find out what is going on in the real world. His attitude over the last while is a clear illustration of how divorced he and Democratic Left are from reality.
Yours, etc.,
Fianna Fail Chief Whip, Dail Eireann.