Sir, - As a founder member of the Progressive Democrats, I feel modestly entitled to reply to the diatribe of woes listed by your letter writer, Laurence W. White (May 22nd).
He criticises the PD party leader, Mary Harney TD, for the very fact of proposing tax reform. He mentions no tax alternatives. He criticises Ms Helen Keogh TD, spokesperson on health for listing 12 questions in Dail Eireann who was highlighting very serious problems in our health and social services. He proposes no alternatives.
For some arcane reason, he believes that we PDs espouse (which we don't) Mr Newt Gingrich's economic programme for the US but offers no proof. His name calling and anti women attitudes are too misogynistic to be dignified with a comment.
Any person or party in Opposition in Dail Eireann is deprived of the back up services of the permanent Civil Service and also devoid of the temporary backup service to the 500 special Government advisers and spindoctors as listed in The Sunday Business Post (April 28th 1996).
Without an adequate Freedom of Information Act as operates in Sweden, parties in Opposition in Ireland, must rely on questions in the Dail to extract information (dentally and excruciatingly) from a Government which does not understand the meaning of the words openness ("open wide") or transparency ("say Aah").
That Liz O'Donnell TD should have to table three questions on a lost arrest warrant to the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, in order to get one single full and honest reply merely copperfastens and proves my argument.
Grow up, Mr White, your name calling is the stuff of playgrounds! You have not given me one single reason to reject or damage my PD belief that a reform of the tax system would be a better deal for every worker and retired person in the Republic. - Yours, etc.,
PhB MA,
Crodaun,
Celbridge, Co Kildare.