Sir, – Gill McCarthy (July 5th) thinks that TDs experience holistic growth following a path from local to national issues. Maybe so, for some.
However, for many others, it’s likely that something quite different happens. People who idealistically enter politics to change things on the “macro” level are made cynical by the grim expediency of granting favours to connected individuals and fixing every pothole in every road.
Surely it is a good idea to have a proper division of labour between TDs working in our national legislature (the clue is in the name) and city and county councillors dealing with local issues? Perhaps, then, our politics would work better, and more fairly, for everyone in Ireland. – Yours, etc,
JOE McCARTHY,
Arbour Hill,
Dublin 7.
Sir, – In most modern democracies, local councils deal with bin charges, water charges, and local housing. However, the Dáil does not seem able to delegate these functions for fear of losing political influence at local level.
The result is that nobody takes responsibility, nothing is done in a timely manner, and our politicians continue to pontificate at length.
I hope our new Taoiseach will have the courage and skill to delegate the everyday local issues to the councils. This would free our TDs to concentrate on the litany of national (Garda reform, the HSE, the Eighth Amendment, etc) and international (Brexit, neutrality, etc) issues.
I won’t hold my breath! – Yours, etc,
MIKE CORMACK,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.