Madam, – Less than a week after the electorate ousted Fianna Fáil from government, it is with some bemusement that I see a Labour Party Youth spokesman (Colm Lawless, March 3rd) argue that Fine Gael should use their mandate to put them back in. It’s certainly a strange interpretation of democracy. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Colm Lawless of Labour Youth (March 3rd) badly needs a reality check about the result of the election. The election was neither the “fantastic victory” which Mr Lawless claims it to have been, nor was it the greatest result ever achieved by Labour, as its leading figures and many Independent commentators have stated.
The party received 19.4 per cent of the popular vote and 37 seats in the recent election. In 1992, Labour/Democratic Left achieved 22.5 per cent of the vote and together got 37 seats. So by either measure, Labour has not exceeded their 1992 high watermark. The Labour result, while impressive, has left the party in a very distant second place. It has, however received a strong mandate from the electorate to enter government.
A hubristic attempt to ignore this mandate and to voluntarily accept a fourth successive term in Opposition would surely consign the party to political irrelevance. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – One disappointing aspect of the recent election campaign is that no party set out a vision for a digital economy for Ireland. Enda Kenny now has an opportunity to put this right as he contemplates his team for government.
We need a Minister for the Digital Economy who will spearhead the delivery of broadband infrastructure, promote the development of digital skills, target and support the industry opportunities, eg cloud computing and digital media, and promote digital technologies in the home, business and the public sector. Indeed, digital technology has a key role to play in achieving efficiencies in the reform of public service delivery.
This post might be best filled by a super junior minister with a cross-departmental role and in particular with a link to the Departments of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources; Enterprise, Trade and Innovation; Education and Skills; and Tourism, Culture and Sport.
This is one of the key steps required to drive our economy forward and help to get us out of this economic recession. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – So Labour and Eamon Gilmore had a resounding success in the general election? Fianna Fáil got 17.4 per cent of the national vote (a disaster) – while Labour got 19.4 per cent – a huge difference of 2 per cent! And on this basis we have to hear Joan Burton and Róisín Shortall lecturing those of us who voted for Fine Gael, 36.1 per cent, on the terms and conditions of a future government. – Yours, etc, Yours, etc,