Madam, - Last weekend we got a glimpse of the coming destruction of the Government in a manner that would have pleased a dramatist in ancient Greece. The electorate pleaded for mercy, yet Mary Harney prescribed the mixture as before, but at a higher dose.
It really looks as if the PDs are determined to destroy Fianna Fáil. First they drove the republican remnant into the arms of Sinn Féin, using every means at their disposal, right up to the press conference pantomime with the Sinn Féin paraphernalia. Now they seem to be intent on driving off any social democrat voters in the direction of Labour and Fine Gael.
As Fianna Fáil's coalition partners, it will have taken the PDs only seven years to destroy a monolith that withstood the assault of its presumed political enemies for the better part of a century. - Yours, etc.,
HUGO BRADY BROWN,
Stratford on Slaney,
Co Wicklow.
Madam, - In two years Enda Kenny has brought Fine Gael from apparent terminal decline to near parity with Fianna Fáil at the recent elections, from the verge of despair to an upsurge of energy and vitality. This amazing achievement required hard work and a wide range of leadership skills and personal charm. During those two years every political analyst I heard or read continued to regurgitate the clichés about the "weak", "anaemic", "nice" Mr Kenny.
How was it possible that all these correspondents completely missed what was really happening? - Yours, etc.,
MARGARET LEE,
Newport,
Co Tipperary.
Madam, - While post-mortems of the elections are in process, may I offer some suggestions to the Fine Gael party?
In order to appeal to the electorate as a viable alternative political party it needs a major philosophical renewal now to prepare itself for the next general election.
It can do this by articulating a Christian vision for politics. After all, Fine Gael sits with the Christian Democrats in Europe as part of the European People's Party and the future for Fine Gael, in rediscovering its Christian Democratic credentials, is hopeful with the election to Europe of Gay Mitchell and the continuing work of John Bruton for mention of God to be inserted in the proposed EU Constitution.
Fine Gael needs to pursue policies of enterprise, social justice, patriotism, integrity in political life and in the key institutions of the State and offer itself as a party possessing both a liberal and conservative wing but suffused with a dynamic Christian dimension.
With such a vision it may yet electrify Irish political life. We hope and pray. - Yours, etc.,
Dr STEPHEN J. COSTELLO,
Foster Avenue,
Mount Merrion,
Co Dublin.
Madam, - May we thank the Tánaiste for advising us to "shop around"?
We certainly did. - Yours, etc.,
P. SKILLEN,
Grange Close,
Rosslare,
Wexford.
Madam, - There is a simple solution to the pollution of election posters and plastic ties: standard election poster billboards which can be taken out of council storage at election time to be placed at strategic locations such as pedestrian streets - not distractingly by roadsides - and then put back into storage immediately the elections are over.
Indiscriminate roadside posters should be made an offence, with the offending political parties receiving fines and bad publicity. - Yours, etc.
NIALL O'DONOGHUE,
Narva,
Finland.