Madam, - Fine Gael and Labour lost two wonderful opportunities during 2007 to distinguish themselves from Fianna Fáil and its coalition partners. These were the totally unnecessary creation of additional Ministers of State and the now deferred salary rises for the Taoiseach and his Ministers.
UK prime minister Gordon Brown has wisely advised his ministerial colleagues to accept the same discipline that is being asked of ordinary people. This is a policy that Fine Gael and Labour would do well to emulate: leadership is about making hard choices and not about exploiting power for personal gain.
Mr Kenny's notion of a personal contract with the Irish people was, despite the derision it attracted from the expected quarters, attractive to many uncommitted Irish voters and was in stark contrast to the present Taoiseach's refusal to accept responsibility for anything.
Mr Kenny should incorporate commitments to undo the deferred salary rises and to reduce the number of ministers to the very minimum necessary for a country of this size into his personal contract with the Irish people. It may not please his backbenchers, but a slightly smaller slice of the pie is surely preferable to an indefinite period on the opposition benches.
- Yours, etc,
GEARÓID Ó DUBHÁIN, Mount Oval Village, Rochestown, Co Cork.