DAVID CARROLL,
A chara, - A couple of years ago, as governments throughout the world began to realise how poorly prepared they are to provide pensions for the "baby-boomer" generation, Charlie McCreevy prudently set about establishing the National Pension Fund and legislating for a fixed annual contribution to it - a move which will surely be remembered as one of his most radical, sensible and forward-thinking proposals.
Fine Gael, quite rightly, insists that it will not interfere with the annual contribution. Unfortunately, however, it can't form a government without the Labour party which, even more unfortunately, has made the raiding of the fund a prerequisite for coalition.
With such ingenious policy co-ordination like this among the so-called "alternative government" (God forbid), are their poll ratings any real surprise to anyone but themselves? - Is mise,
DAVID CARROLL,
Castle Gate,
Dublin 2.