Sir, - Your Editorial on the Government's "Progress Report at the End of Year Two" (July 27th) quotes the Taoiseach together with the Tanaiste as saying "that we have kept faith with the people".
Whatever about Ms Harney keeping the "faith", Mr Ahern has been unfaithful to me and very many more of the Irish electorate. His party and probably himself at the last general election received many votes on the basis that he would not enter into the NATOled Partnership for Peace without a referendum of the Irish people. Indeed there is the possibility that he would not be where he is today without those votes.
How, then, can he now as Taoiseach have the audacity to declare that he has kept faith with the Irish people when he is refusing to honour his word and have a referendum on this vital issue? No wonder so many of the young Irish electorate are disillusioned and cynical about politics and politicians. - Yours, etc., Brendan Butler,
Pennock Hill, Swords, Co Dublin.