Sir, – Leo Varadkar wants Fine Gael to “be the party that represents those who get up early in the morning”. What a lovely sentiment towards all those who let out the dog before breakfast. I presume the dog will appreciate it too. – Yours, etc,
CATHAL RABBITTE,
Villars sur Ollon,
Switzerland.
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Sir, – So, Leo Varadkar wants Fine Gael to be the party that represents people who get up early in the morning. Does he mean those who are sleeping on the streets? – Yours, etc,
DERMOT RYDER,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – The real campaign is over; the phoney campaign is beginning. – Yours, etc,
TOM HOGAN,
Castleknock,
Dublin 15.
Sir, – Maybe as a precaution Leo should bone up on the story of the tortoise and the hare. Yours, etc,
BRIAN AHERN,
Clonsilla,
Dublin 15.
Sir, – Fintan O'Toole attempts to take Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar to task for their lack of radicalism ("Leo or Simon? It doesn't matter much", Weekend Review, May 20th), yet his only suggestion to fix the housing market was a well-meaning yet patently unworkable and illogical piece of market interference.
O’Toole persistently proposes policy without considering the incentives they might have on the behaviour of those in the market; invariably this involves giving carrots to the good underdog while showing the stick to the bogeyman landlord or developer.
To me a radical set of proposal is something that has to potential to upset a significant number of vested interests. When will O’Toole or any other columnist propose a policy that attempts to change housing from a store of wealth for the middle class?
Changes such as including one’s principal private residence (PPR) as an asset for means tests and grant reckoning and ending the exemption for capital gains tax are policies that would be welcomed by economists and are not radical by international standards, yet Irish political parties – including those of the so-called radical left – are strangely united in their support for these sops to the propertied middle classes.
Similarly, a significant annual land/property tax would redistribute wealth from those who have gained from the property bubble, encourage democracy and action at local government level and – most importantly – encourage efficient use of scarce resources. – Yours, etc,
MATTHEW GLOVER,
Lucan, Co Dublin.
A chara, – It really is profoundly undemocratic that the people will not have a say over who should be Taoiseach but rather we will have a coronation of one of two princes with a pseudo-democratic competition to gloss over this charade. We cannot afford this level of distraction with Brexit coming down the tracks.
Fianna Fáil needs to man up and pull the plug on the cosy arrangement and call an election, or the new Fine Gael leader should call one straight away and seek a mandate to govern. – Is mise,
KILLIAN BRENNAN,
Dublin 17.
Sir, – Dublin, Cork, Ballinasloe and Carlow for the leadership debates. What did we, north of the M6, do to the contenders to be deprived of this spectacle? – Yours, etc,
CORMAC MEEHAN,
Bundoran, Co Donegal.
Sir, – The extraordinary intelligence of the average Fine Gael TD and Senator is breathtaking; apparently three out of every four were ready and able to make their minds up on who they want to lead them into the next election – a matter of existential importance – without listening to the policies, plans and vision of the two contestants. It is reassuring that the country is in the hands of such a diligent body of worthies. Many of them can even sing for their supper. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL ANDERSON,
Balgriffin,
Dublin 13