Sir, – Conor Brady’s article, “Ten things that Enda Kenny should do right now” (Opinion, June 29th) breathes a bit of optimism. If implemented, his proposals would go a long way to reclaiming respect for our parliamentary system.
I hope Conor Brady won’t mind too much if I piggyback on his well worked out ideas.
The Taoiseach should carry out an immediate Cabinet reshuffle. The Government does not need a heart transplant, but it certainly needs a blood transfusion. He should cull half a dozen of his ministers, invite them onto the back benches and promote some of the brighter young members who are ambitious for the future of our country.
He should cut the number of ministers of state by half. Many of them are mere constituency minders, while others could do well in Cabinet.
He should seek to streamline the whole bloated apparatus of special advisers, press officers, script writers, etc, etc.
He should defer his proposal on the future of the Senate. Surely the mechanism that brought people of the character and calibre of Mary Robinson, John A Murphy, Joe Lee, Ken Whitaker, John Robb, David Norris, Sean Barrett and others of that acumen, into the political process merits thorough, thoughtful reform. Floating a notion and then whipping the troops in behind it is not good enough.
I can never remember a time when the public was so soured and disillusioned. I fear for the outcome of the next general election. – Yours, etc,
MAIRIN QUILL,
Wellington Road,
Cork.