Letters

A full agenda for Fine Gael’s new leader

Change and continuity

Wed Mar 27 2024 - 00:10

Sir, – It is indeed welcome and encouraging to read comments made by Fine Gael leader and presumptive taoiseach Simon Harris regarding defence and the Defence Forces at a speech given at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin (“Ireland’s neutrality no excuse for complacency on defence, says Harris”, News, March 25th).

Given the state of the Defence Forces after a decade of neglect, it is positive to read that hopefully, finally, the importance of having adequately resourced and fit for purpose Defence Forces is recognised by Government.

I wish the presumptive taoiseach well, and I hope that he will deliver what is required to address the crisis in the Defence Forces and in the defence of the State. – Yours, etc,

CONOR HOGARTY,

READ MORE

Blackrock,

Co Dublin.

A chara, – I see that Fine Gael, and their new leader, Simon Harris, are in favour of leaving pubs and night clubs open until 5.30 am. Are they in danger of turning into the All-Night Party? – Is mise,

COLM O’FATHARTA,

Baile Átha Cliath 6.

Sir, – Further to Felix Larkin’s eminently apposite letter on the subject of Ireland’s youngest head of government (March 26th), it should also not be forgotten that Éamon de Valera was only 36 when he became príomh aire (prime minister or president) of the first Dáil Éireann, on April 1st, 1919, without which political assembly the provisional government in January 1922, under Michael Collins as its first leader, would never have come into being. – Yours, etc,

FRANK BOUCHIER-HAYES,

Newcastle West,

Co Limerick.

Sir, – History may well judge Leo Varadkar, but scrolling through your newspaper’s letters page, it seems that contemporary society can’t make up its mind. – Yours, etc,

ENDA CULLEN,

Armagh.

Sir, – The Irish Times is, for me and many, “Trusted journalism since 1859″. This makes it all the more disappointing when the recent selection of published letters on the subject of Simon Harris’s elevation to Fine Gael leadership makes the paper look more like The Beano than the “paper of register”. One expects better. – Yours, etc,

GEOFF SCARGILL,

Bray,

Co Wicklow.

Sir , – I won’t hear a bad word said against Simon Harris. Leitrim won promotion to Division Three the day after he was appointed.

Start as you mean to go on, young man. – Yours, etc,

JOHN McDWYER,

Carrick-on-Shannon,

Co Leitrim.

Sir, – On Fine Gael’s homepage, climate change is listed on the third tile of 11 in the section entitled “Our Priorities”. It states: “Climate change is a threat to all of us and our way of life. We all recognise the need to take urgent action”, that “Fine Gael is driving action at national and local level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to improve our natural environment”, that “This is a huge opportunity to create new jobs and grow businesses”, and admitting that “Ireland is the second-largest source of greenhouse gases per person in the EU”, yet Simon Harris “mentioned climate change only in the context of helping farmers to transition to meet its challenges” (“The hottest year ever, yet Harris is only talking about climate in the context of helping farmers”, Opinion & Analysis, March 26th).

Congratulations to Simon Harris on winning his party’s leadership race, but that race pales into insignificance compared to the race to halt climate change.

And he should need no reminding that farmers, like the rest of us, stand to be adversely affected by climate change. In fact, some studies have predicted that they will be one of the groups most adversely affected by climate change.

Once he returns from his orbit of jubilation, one hopes the new Fine Gael leader will return to the planet the rest of us – including existing and future potential Fine Gael voters – are living on. – Yours, etc,

ROB SADLIER,

Dublin 16.