Madam, – Do Labour and Fine Gael not realise that their mutual recrimination may be hurting the electoral prospects of both parties? The immediate priority for our Republic is to remove from office a party which has presided over the ruination of a very healthy economy which was once the envy of many countries in Europe. Second, that wretched coalition must now be replaced by a sane, rational and honest government, capable of uniting our country and regaining the position of international prestige we held until recently. Can we focus on positive plans for recovery rather than spurious differences, please? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Mary Minihan’s article on women’s participation in politics (Home News, February 17th) makes dismal reading, especially the decrease in the percentage of women candidates in the upcoming election. Well within living memory it was equally difficult for women to gain access to paid employment. Two measures which helped counteract this imbalance were the lifting of the ban on married women in the Civil Service (1973) and the directive which made it illegal to pay women less for doing the same job (1976). Once cultural and social barriers were overcome women flooded into the workplace. Clearly some temporary measures need to be implemented to ensure greater gender balance in the selection of candidates for election. The cultural and social barriers which hamper a greater spread of responsibility among men and women need to be addressed as part of this reform. It is high time women played their part in governing our country. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The election will have to be run a second time, on the grounds that it is the most undemocratic one that has ever been run within the Irish State.
First, it is undemocratic because it fails to consider the plight of the massive number of newly unemployed people who might like to run for election, as is their right and entitlement, but can’t because they do not have the funds. Well-heeled politicians who have been in government have a huge advantage as most will use their State salaries, the people’s money, to get re-elected, using State-funded post to flood the electorate with brochures. Meanwhile, those who have lost their jobs, due largely to the incompetence of the Government, have no funds and no such opportunities.
The politicians who are in office have built up their profile, giving them a clear advantage. But this election, above all other elections is about changing these “same old faces” and electing “new faces with new ideas”. New candidates should have been given the opportunity to air their views and make known their policies, but they are cut off in terms of media exposure. There is only one programme giving air-space to the whole Irish public and that is Joe Duffy’s Liveline.
The “McKenna” case precedent (whereby taxpayers’ money can’t be used to promote only one side’s argument in a referendum campaign) should be invoked. If the sitting public representatives don’t even see this lack of democracy, how can we rely on them to introduce reform? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Fianna Fáil attempts to smear Gerry Adams are beneath contempt. Unable to argue the facts, they have decided to use the tactics of gutter politics. Whether Gerry Adams was or was not a member of the IRA is an irrelevance at this election.
Clearly the Soldiers of Destiny have forgotten their own history. Their founding politicians were IRA men who were called terrorists by the British and their TDs once carried guns in their pockets when attending the Dáil.
Mr Adams has worked hard to ensure that the gun is taken out of Irish politics for good. He is a man who was able to sit down and make peace with British and unionist politicians who had clearly believed that power came out of the barrel of a gun. He is to be greatly admired for his ability to transform what was a hopeless situation into one where there has been fundamental change and there is the promise of more to come.
Fianna Fáil has brought Ireland to its knees and has sold out on its founding principles. It has no right to call itself a Republican party. It has served sectional interests and has shown itself willing to sacrifice the national interest on the altar of international capitalism. It is time to consign Fianna Fáil to the dustbin of history. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Enda Kenny and Fine Gael believe unions bear a substantial responsibility for our current situation. Does Mr Kenny and his colleague Dr James O’Reilly include the IMO in this category? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Seeking refuge from the bitter economic winter engulfing our country and our continent, I find myself an Irishman in China. I have found the Chinese people to display a profound interest in foreigners, and am the subject of constant questions from curious people of all ages.
On one occasion, a 19-year-old literature student quoted me William Butler Yeats’ “When You Are Old” off pat; on another, a history graduate asked me what impact the Cromwellian era had had on the modern nation. Chinese students are even learning the Irish language.
Imagine my horror when today I found myself being asked what aspect of Irish society and culture found it amusing to mock other people’s accents? and whether I was aware that my own pronunciation had strayed far from standard Mandarin?
If we had more politicians and fewer comedians, the country might not be in the wretched state that it’s in, and the people of China might find more to celebrate in our society, and less to berate. – Yours, etc,