Madam, - In your edition of October 4th, Billy Kelleher TD - the Deputy Government Chief Whip, no less - decries the proposed marriage of Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens as a "charade" and warns farmers not to be fooled as "they know the party which represents their best interests is Fianna Fáil".
No doubt this attempt to foment suspicion among us rural folks is a central plank of the Governments re-election strategy. But Mr Kelleher's opportunism, naked hypocrisy and dishonesty is hard to stomach.
This is the same Fianna Fáil which has merrily sat on its hands as the number of dairy farmers in Co Galway alone plummeted from more than 2,000 in 1995 to fewer than 700 this year - a decline mirroring the 10 years that this charade of a Government has been in power. This Government has perfected the art of being in Government but not in power and "events" are always somebody else's fault.
With those kind of friends looking after our interests I'm prepared to take my chances with any alternative government combination - up to and including the devil himself - that guarantees me that Fianna Fáil will not be in it. - Yours, etc,
TOMÁS FINN, Ballinasloe, Co Galway.