Sir, – Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s warning to Independent Alliance Ministers that they will not be allowed to avoid Cabinet collective responsibility again, and that a free vote was a once-off, reminds me of Fr Dougal’s comment, “Well, Ted, like I said the last time: it won’t happen again”.
In real life anything that happens once can happen a second time. – Yours, etc,
DERMOT O’ROURKE,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Against the background of current events, I have been contemplating the relationship between a government and its attorney general. If a government always follows the attorney general’s advice, then effectively the attorney general becomes taoiseach. To prevent that from happening, a government must occasionally reject the attorney general’s advice in order to stamp its authority and to keep the attorney general in check. Conversely, when it comes to a difficult decision, a government can hide behind the opinion of the attorney general, saying that it must follow expert advice. What a cynical relationship! – Yours, etc,
AOIFE LORD,
Tankardstown,
Co Meath.
Sir, – Dr James Reilly failed as a minister of health, failed as candidate for the Dáil and had to be nominated to the Seanad by Enda Kenny. He is eminently suitable as the deputy leader of Fine Gael! The new politics? – Yours, etc,
D O’SHEA,
Pinecroft,
Cork.