Madam, – Micheál Martin’s statement (Home News, February 7th) that “there’s no point in punishing one group in order to rescue another” must rank as the most hypocritical utterance of any politician from any party. Surely this is what the people of Ireland, whether employed or unemployed, are enduring now? We are being punished by means of increased taxes and swingeing cutbacks in public services to rescue a cabal of inept bankers and a cadre of rapacious bondholders. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Micheál Martin states of his party’s manifesto: “There are no gimmicks and there are no poll-tested soundbites targeted at different sections of the population. The reason for this is simple, the money is not there.” The obvious corollary is that, if there were money there, there would be gimmicks and poll-tested soundbites. No change there then. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Reading your report on Fine Gael’s plan for mortgage relief for the “negative equity generation” (Front page, February 5th), I was struck by a sense of déjà vu. The problem: a well-off minority made investment decisions of their own free will in recent years and, rather than widely expected profits, these investments now bear substantial losses for the individuals concerned. The proposed solution: rescue these individuals by distributing their privately-incurred debts among all Irish taxpayers.
Presumably the next stage is naming this bailout finance. Irish Mortgage Fund, perhaps? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – National Council for the Blind of Ireland has been lobbying for improvements in voting arrangements which would move from the method of having a vote recorded by a companion to a system that would allow the person to vote with absolute privacy.
The case for such an improvement was last presented in October by NCBI to the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Environment, Local government and Heritage. We have been making this case for years and have suggested various arrangements, from the use of the postal ballot to the ultimate introduction of text voting which is being considered in some European jurisdictions.
A method favoured by blind people, of using a tactile template covering the ballot paper, is perceived as ultimately the best one, but much advance work needs to be done. Currently each constituency has a different sized ballot paper, with different layout. A pre-determined ballot paper size with precise spacing between each candidate listed needs to be agreed by the body overseeing elections before a tactile template for ballot papers can be introduced. Maybe our next government will give this matter a higher priority than it has received in the past?
The debacle regarding the grossly unfair reduction in the blind pension in the last Budget by the outgoing government can be reversed by an incoming government. Blind and vision-impaired people (as voters) have an opportunity raise this issue on the door step during the election campaign. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – For the first time in my life I agree with something Fianna Fáil has said. Micheál Martin says we must learn from past mistakes. I have! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Remarkable the changes introduced by Fianna Fáil for reform in its new manifesto. Could Damascus possibly be part of Micheál Martin’s constituency? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I knew there was something fishy about the photograph of Fine Gael candidate Eoghan Murphy (Front page, February 7th) risking life and limb as he endeavoured to present a “swimmer” with some election literature near Dublin’s Great South Wall. It turns out (February 8th) that the chap emerging from the water after his act of natation was a mate of the intrepid councillor. A blatant case of “stroke” politics? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Tom O’Neill should be asking “What National Pension Reserve Fund?” rather than having a pop at Mary Lou McDonald for being under the illusion that she and/or Sinn Féin can use it to “create jobs” (February 8th). Because, my understanding is that the incumbent Government appears to have done a “Sinn Féin policy and practice” and already raided it to fund the bankers and to get their mitts on the IMF/EU deal money.
Also, if I, as a director of my company, want to spend my company’s money sustaining jobs then I’ll do so. To be informed by Mr O’Neill that doing so would lead to me being “pilloried by all and every political party in the country” and “treated as a criminal” is very alarming indeed, even if it is a tad over-exaggerated for the sake of a “soundbite”.– Yours, etc,
A chara, – Alan Dukes’s snide letter (February 5th) concerning Fintan O’Toole was in very poor form. I note that for all Mr Dukes’s extensive political experience he hasn’t made any difference to the ultimate taxpayer bill for Anglo Irish Bank. – Is mise,
Madam, – It is a refreshing debate: to hear politicians talk about how politics will be done rather than the usual false promises, so soon forgotten after polling day.
The reform proposals by all the main parties are radical and welcome, with some great ideas coming out. I want to go à la carte and pick from both menus. It is the one area of politics in which we need consensus. All the players need to write the new rule book – not just the election winners.
Reforming our political structures is critical: we have to change governance and the way we are governed. Reform of government needs cross-party consensus, on this one matter. I will ask all candidates knocking on my door to knock their heads together (as well as taking a pay cut and cutting down their own numbers.) – Yours, etc,
Madam, – In a gesture of solidarity with the people of Ireland, perhaps the departing ministers and TDs would consider being paid the lump sum in cheese. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The notion of substitute TDs is absurd (“FF proposes substitutes in Dáil for ministers”, February 8th). It turns democracy on its head as people would be represented in the Dáil by non-elected politicians. It would of course provide “jobs for the boys” that did not get enough votes to be elected on their own merits.
We do not need TDs to hold clinics every week; these clinics serve only to massage the egos of our TDs. Our local representatives – ie, our county councillors, etc – should be the ones to organise the filling of our pot-holes. They are after all, the people with the vote on the council budget.
The notion that your TD can help you to get a grant or a medical card is also flawed; either a person satisfies the criteria for a benefit, or not. If the application process for all benefits was clear and totally transparent then the issue of asking your TD to champion your cause should not arise.
TDs should focus on national issues and policy making, while county councillors should focus on local issues. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I suggest that all teacher Government Ministers – including Micheál Martin – resign their teacher jobs and give a young teacher the chance of a permanent job. Please could the policy regarding this issue be changed? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Regarding the debates about TV debates and considering that this is essentially a single-issue election (“it’s the economy stupid”), wouldn’t a three- or five-way debate between finance spokespersons be highly appropriate? That is, of course assuming that Fianna Fáil isn’t “hiding” Brian Lenihan. – Yours, etc,