Madam, - Garret FitzGerald is to be commended for the good sense with which he demonstrates the retrogressive character of free third-level education (Opinion, May 31st).
He rightly asks why Fine Gael has seen fit to defend its continuance. That party will never recover from its present doldrums if it tries to outbid Fianna Fáil in playing the populist game of offering universal benefits such as free higher education.
Better to stick to a thoughtful commitment to real social justice and economic prudence. - Yours, etc.,
JOHN P. McCARTHY, Director, Institute of Irish Studies, Fordham University, New York, USA.