Sir, – There has been public commentary bemoaning the Taoiseach’s refusal on the televised debate on February 11th to indicate his own personal preference in respect of the Eighth Amendment, suggesting that it was indicative of a lack of leadership.
Leadership is about bringing people to a new place and new thinking. It is demonstrated best in how you proceed to do that, not by imposing your own thinking on others but by enabling others to make their own choice to follow you along the road.
Enda Kenny and the entire government worked to find a process by which rational discussion could be encouraged and a resolution that had broad support delivered. For decades no government acted to legislate for the X case; this one did. It did so, not by denigrating other viewpoints, but by acknowledging and respecting them. That’s leadership.
Simplistic sloganeering, hashtags and megaphone diplomacy will not deliver any change to or repeal of the Eighth Amendment. Those who practise those skills best do not want a considered adult resolution to a complex problem, they want to triumph over the views of others and to be seen to do so. That craving for victory misleads and undermines the capacity to bring the change that is needed. We would be wise to ignore it when we go to the polls. – Yours, etc,
DANIEL SULLIVAN,
Marino,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – Having watched the first of the TV debates, it amazed me to hear each party leader constantly shout across each other while trying to score points. Ironically, not one prospective TD has come close enough to my home to even whisper into the letterbox. – Yours, etc,
KENNETH B ROBINSON,
Grenagh,
Co Cork.
Sir, – Is it not disappointing that over the course of 90 minutes of heated political debate about the much disputed “recovery” and how it might be initiated or perpetuated, depending on one’s viewpoint, the party leaders failed to give even a passing reference to education?
Is it any wonder that the some 200,000 students in higher education are perceived to be pitifully disengaged from the political system? – Yours, etc,
CHRISTOPHER
McMAHON,
Castleknock,
Dublin 15.
Sir, – The Sinn Féin manifesto indicates that it will retain the USC for those earning in excess of €19,500. They also promise to abolish the local property tax, which would save the owner of a house valued at €2 million some €4,300 a year. If a house was valued at €3 million, the saving would be €6,800. This is Sinn Féin’s version of fair. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL D LAWLOR,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.
A chara, – In its recent manifesto launch, Fianna Fáil announced it would introduce free dental healthcare for all children under six. This has to be the cheapest healthcare policy in the history of the State. Has Fianna Fáil party never heard of the phenomenon of “milk teeth”? – Is mise,
MANUS CARLISLE,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – If it had any imagination, the Government would now introduce a grant system for insulating our fiscal space, if only to prevent our assets from being frozen. In the current climate, needless to say! – Yours, etc,
DENIS BERGIN,
Belmont,
Co Offaly.
Sir, – Strange, isn’t it? People say they won’t vote for Fianna Fail because it was irresponsible last time round; and they won’t vote for Fine Gael because it wasn’t irresponsible this time round. What do we want? – Yours, etc,
JOSEPH McDONNELL,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – Is it time to change the abbreviation USC? It stopped being universal sometime ago, will become even less so and while it has social benefit, it is a tax rather than a charge. How about TPT – targeted prosperity tax? – Yours, etc,
JOHN O’CONNELL,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – The ballot box changes nothing. That is why it is tolerated. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL KUNZ,
Kilcoole,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – I am curious about the form of socialism adhered to by Stuart McLennan (February 11th). First of all, it apparently includes private banks, which is a surprise in itself. Secondly, since those banks won’t provide “a litany of products that allow people to realise the capital in their homes” out of the goodness of their hearts, socialism seems to involve obliging people to deliver commercial income to the banks as a byproduct of liquidating the value of their property in order to pay their property tax. Finally, no doubt some homeowners are indeed the kind of grasping capitalists who dream of leaving assets to their children; but in the real world I imagine there are also not so very few Irish people whose ambitions just about reach to breaking even by liquidating their assets and consuming their value before they die – that is, if they ever escape from negative equity.
Under socialism, I suppose these people should never have bought houses at all, they ought to have rented instead. I remain confused as to whether the absence of a large affordable rental sector on the lines of continental social market (not socialist) economies is due to a shortage of socialism or perhaps an excess of Mr McLennan’s financial service industry-based variety, or one of its close relatives. – Yours, etc,
BENJAMIN HEMMENS,
Graz,
Austria.
Sir, – I am having great fun guessing the age of the candidates on the election posters. Our Taoiseach looks like a university student and our Tánaiste looks a mere slip of a lass. Along with other election promises, they appear to be promising us the secret of eternal youth in the land of Tír na nÓg. – Yours, etc,
GARRY BURY,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – There will never be a grand union between the two right-wing parties in the country and the reason is simple. What would the new party be called – Fianna Gael or Fine Fáil? – Yours, etc,
JOHN ROGERS,
Rathowen,
Co Westmeath.
Sir, – This general election is taking place in a bubble.
It should be absolutely plain that circumstances outside Ireland fundamentally affect how our State can continue to borrow at reasonable rates to fund public services and to preserve, let alone expand, employment.
Yet again we are sleepwalking through a very unstable world with a meltdown looming in the global economy in terms of finance and trade, and with the EU in turmoil and the biggest refugee tragedy affecting Europe since the second World War.
We are not even looking at the existential crisis within our closest island – that kingdom being unsure whether it should remain within the EU or even whether it should itself be united.
With opinion polls showing an increasing likelihood of Brexit, the consequences for us could be very turbulent – not least in the context of Northern Ireland.
It is not good enough to tacitly “note” these threats to our stability. That is what we did in the 2007 general election and we all know, to our cost, the way that worked out.
There is a storm coming. That we cannot measure its precise gale force and impact does not make it go away or allow us to ignore it.
The issue at this general election is not to be found in parsing numbers and fine points of policy. It is to be found in answering one question – who do you trust to have the character and the ability to steer us through a hurricane? – Yours, etc,
SHANE MOLLOY,
Dublin 6 .
Sir, – “Election 2016 – weighing up the promises” goes your heading (February 12th). A contradiction in terms surely? Election promises are colourful but inherently weightless balloons! – Yours, etc,
OLIVER McGRANE,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – Lucinda Creighton’s proposal for a flat rate of income tax has a charmingly medieval ring to it. Has she thought of reviving the Flat Earth Society? – Yours, etc,
EDWARD THORNLEY,
Sandymount,
Dublin 4.
Sir, – Will Lucinda Creighton’s Renua sue Michael and Danny Healy-Rae over “Raenua”? – Yours, etc,
LIAM GEARY,
Tralee,
Co Kerry.