Sir, – In light of Fine Gael’s commitment to value for money, can we expect that party to seek a refund from whatever PR firm decided it would be a good idea for the parliamentary party to have a photo opportunity on Thursday? Of course, I am assuming it was the idea of a PR company, since no Fine Gael TD or minister appears to have been remotely aware that the event was even due to happen. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The other day our Government members gave themselves a pat on the back for their first year in office. However, they did admit that some of their pre-election promises were overly optimistic – another way of saying they reneged on most of their pre-election promises. With a current national debt of approximately €165 billion, estimated to rise to over €200 billion in 2015/16, they advised that they have moved the country from the edge of the cliff.
One wonders in what direction did they take us with that manoeuvre? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – An Taoiseach believes that we are in a much better place than we were a year ago. While he is giving himself a pat on the back, ordinary people are losing their jobs and being forced to look for work abroad. It took 20 years for Fianna Fáil to become out of touch with the ordinary people, Fine Gael achieved this in one. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – As a Labour TD, who campaigned honestly in the last election and has served diligently in government at a very difficult time, I disagree strongly with your editorial claim (March 6th) that Labour undertook to “burn the bondholders”.
At every door I canvassed, I explained to constituents that we would seek burden-sharing at most (which we’ve done to the amount of €10 billion), renegotiation at best (underway, interest rates reduced already) but default, burning or simplistic responses would not solve this complex crisis. Election promises were made in good faith in the context of what we knew then, but burning bondholders was not something I promised.
Citizens may be dissatisfied with the hard choices we have had to make.
Believe me, we get it. But we are determined to be fair and adopt a multifaceted approach to solving this complex web of problems which we inherited. This country may have lost its sovereignty, but Labour has not lost its integrity. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Two headlines from Thursday’s newspaper starkly illustrate the failure of all of our politicians to connect with the reality facing real people every day.
Fine Gael cancels plans for a news conference to “trumpet” its successes in the last 12 months because it might be seen as triumphalist.
Meanwhile AIB, stuffed to the gills with taxpayers’ money, announces plans for 2,500 job losses.
Well done indeed to the political classes. A few more “success stories” in this vein should cheer us all up no end. – Yours, etc,