Madam, - Odhran Flynn (August 11th) offers a useful external view of the challenges facing the Labour Party. However, like the ill patient the party has to first admit at all levels that it has a serious problem. It needs to recognise that no party has a divine right to exist. The loss of more seats as older TDs retire could see the beginning of a downward spiral.
The impression given is that there are no new or fresh faces around. This is far from the truth. However, getting such people to the starting blocks is far from easy. Unfortunately, many obstacles are put in the way of this process by the party itself.
If the blockages continue, potential new candidates will simply take up some of the other and many opportunities that life in Ireland currently offers, thus furthering the spiral.
Other parties have honed their candidate selection and strategies to a precise science with obvious results. Local fiefdoms still hold too much sway in Labour. Notwithstanding the need for long-term planning there doesn't seem to be a great sense of urgency about these issues.
After all, the 2009 local elections are not far off and new candidates need to be in place well out from this.
Recognising there is a serious problem and establishing a sense of urgency would at least be a start. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL McLOUGHLIN,
Riverwood Heath,
Castleknock,
Dublin 15.