DAVID CARROLL,
A chara, - As the Progressive Democrats limber up for some "tough negotiations" and "hard bargaining", they would do well to remember that Fianna Fáil now has the same number of seats (81) on its own as the combined strength of FF and the PDs after the 1997 election.
Mutterings from commentators that a government with 81 seats could not possibly survive any length of time with the support of independents are simply not credible. The last one lasted five years under such circumstances.
I for one strongly support the re-election of the outgoing coalition, which has clearly received a huge electoral endorsement. I just hope that egos can be kept in check for the next couple of days. - Is mise,
DAVID CARROLL,
Castle Gate,
Dublin 2.
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Sir, - One wonders what kind of advice Tommy Morris (May 23rd) gave to John Bruton. He describes himself as a special adviser and since he places the blame for Fine Gael's poor electoral results on the time when John Bruton was leader, then one can only assume that Mr Morris's advice was also a contributory factor.
Whatever mistakes Mr Bruton may have made as leader, they pale into insignificance beside the blunders of his successor.
I don't think that John Bruton has had a Pauline conversion. But adversity has made him a stronger leader. Since the culling of most of Fine Gael's front bench, he is by far the ablest and most experienced politician who can revitalise the party and prepare it for government again.
It is not necessarily youth that will reinvigorate Fine Gael, but someone who knows where the party should go and who has the humility to listen to others. - Yours, etc.,
BERNARD O'GRADY,
Sâo Paulo,
Brazil.
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Sir, - I refer to Cathal Mooney's letter of May 21st concerning the use of electronic voting and counting in three constituencies.
The Minister responsible, Mr Noel Dempsey, agrees with Mr Mooney that the system has the potential to simplify voting for the public, provide accurate results and avoid the prolonged counting that has occurred in a number of constituencies.
He points out, however, that the use of electronic voting and counting in this election was in the nature of a pilot exercise and that a full review of the experience will be carried out by the Department. This review will include an assessment of the voting process, the methods adopted for the transmission of the vote data in ballot modules to the count centres and the presentation of the results.
While there is a reasonable consensus that, overall, the system performed satisfactorily, there are certainly areas that could be improved upon. We welcome all views on this issue. - Yours, etc.,
RONNIE DEVLIN,
Press Officer,
Department of the Environment
and Local Government,
Dublin 1.
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Sir, - I note that Dublin City Council has warned that candidates who failed to remove their election posters before Friday, May 24th would be liable to an on-the-spot fine or prosecution under the litter pollution act. Will the council actually go ahead with this threat? And would it be an idea for candidates from this election who think they might go forward for the next campaign to put their posters in storage?
This would save money for them, save the environment, and, of course, automatically make themselves look a few years younger.- Yours, etc.,
PHILIP LAWTON,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
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Sir, - It is clear that a minority of the Irish electorate are unhappy with the election result. Surely we must re-run the election until this minority are satisfied.
After all, it seems most members of the new Dáil want to re-run the constitutional referendum on the Nice Treaty because the majority seem to have got it wrong. - Yours, etc.,
PHILIP MORIARTY,
Finglas,
Dublin 11.