Madam, - The passing of legislation to allow a former government minister claim retrospective pension payments proves two points beyond any doubt. This Fianna Fáil-led Government and their coalition allies have no scruples and secondly, there is one law for the establishment in this country and another for the ordinary taxpayer. The unashamed acceptance of ridiculous pay increases, the ineptitude as instanced by the provisional drivers debacle and now the customising of legislation are proof that we, the ordinary people of Ireland, are held in utter contempt by this Government. This is a Government way beyond its sell-by date.
Those who vote for Fianna Fáil on the basis that they are the party of the plain people of Ireland should really wake up and smell the coffee. Fianna Fáil and their coalition partners are the friends of the rich and powerful, who daily grow richer and more powerful. I am not a great fan of Bob Geldof, but I do believe his description of Ireland as a "banana republic" is as valid today as it was more than two decades ago. - Yours, etc,
ALAN McPARTLAND,
Grange Court,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
Madam, - I see the Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, has changed legislation to allow his former colleague Dr Michael Woods successfully claim €75,000 in backdated pension payments, even though he had failed to claim his pension within the specified six-month period.
In my own case I have been refused a full pension because my PRSI payments were 11 weeks short of what was required. So I am on half-pension, even though I paid approximately 99.75 per cent of payments necessary to get a full pension.
Representations by me to politicians, relevant Government departments and the Ombudsman about this have been to no avail.
Surely what is sauce for Dr Woods should be sauce for me too. Or is there now one law for former ministers and another for pensioners like myself? - Yours, etc,
TOMMY MAHON,
Ballaghaderreen,
Co Roscommon.
Madam, - Dr Woods says he had nothing to do with his €75,000 pension windfall.
Will he then give it back to the State as a small recompense for the mess he made of the deal with the church over compensation for child abuse?
Or is it just a dig-out? - Yours, etc,
JONS CARLSSON,
Shankill,
Co Dublin.