Madam, - When the Irish Government sells its private jet; when ministers fly economy class; when the ridiculously large ministerial cars are exchanged for less ostentatious vehicles - then we shall know that the Taoiseach's words on the need for cutbacks are sincere.
Until then all is hypocrisy. - Yours, etc,
P.McCUSKER, Delgany, Co Wicklow.
Madam, - Regarding yesterday's estimate of what the Government believes the coming budget deficit is likely to be, I was a bit shocked to read that, "in September, it believed that the gap would be €5 billion. Now it believes the figure will be €7 billion."
A glance at the top of the paper revealed that it was September 26th. As my green bin hasn't been emptied yet, a search revealed that your paper reported the €5 billion budget deficit 23 days earlier on September 3rd.
Therefore, far from Mary Harney's assertion that "Brand Ireland is in business", it would appear to me that Brand Ireland is in the business of going broken at the rate of €87 million a day. - Yours, etc,
PAUL FORREST, Manor Rise, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.
Madam, - The economy and the Exchequer are clearly in considerable trauma. As has been said many times by prominent people in recent weeks, we are in uncharted waters.
The Government should have our support in devising strategies to guide us safely through this time. I believe it would be helpful to form a "council of elders" drawn mainly from business people experienced in national and international finance to advise the Government in this period.
The members of such a body would have to be willing to work together for the common good. They would be a kind of Aosdána of the economy. There are many wise business people in our community who would be suitable for such a role, such as Phillip Lynch, Gillian Bowler and Eugene Murtagh. This body should be formed quickly and be ready to take up its role as soon as the budget is in place, if not before. - Yours, etc,
NEIL PATRICK McCANN, Larch Hill, Delgany, Co Wicklow.
Madam, - There is a story, possibly apocryphal, concerning a well-known politician, now deceased, which might appropriately be applied to the present Government.
When asked if he was worried about the recession, the politician is supposed to have replied: "Not a bit. Sure wasn't I a failure during the boom?" - Yours, etc,
TONY BURKE, Abbey Park, Baldoyle, Dublin 13.