Madam, – I do not see why a Fianna Fáil Minister like Brian Lenihan, whose predecessors murdered Michael Collins, should be making the oration at the Michael Collins commemoration in Béal na mBláth on Sunday, August 22.
I acknowledge the courage that Brian Lenihan has shown in dealing with his illness. As a medical doctor, I am not sure that it is appropriate for him to continue working like he is. My issue is that Mr Lenihan represents Fianna Fáil but it’s not about Civil War politics but about ideals of government and what Collins believed in. The Fianna Fáil leadership (or lack thereof) does not deserve the respect of the Irish people. The Michael Collins commemoration will give them an aura of acceptability that they will only abuse.
As a minister for finance himself, Michael Collins believed in transparency and accountability in his government and its ministers. However, Brian Lenihan as Finance Minister and in his dealings with the banks since September 2008, has not shown us this accountability and transparency that everyone in Ireland is looking for in their politicians.
It is Fianna Fáil ministers and taoisigh like Bertie Ahern, Charlie Haughey and Ray Burke, Liam Lawlor and even Ivor Callely that have let us down over the years.
Fine Gael, the party that created the State under Michael Collins and declared it a republic under John A Costello has always believed that a government should be held to account. It is a person who believes in this ethos that should be speaking at the commemoration and not a Minister and a Government that not only let us down over the past couple of years and brought us to the brink of financial meltdown.