Madam, - Simon Coveney's decision to leave Brussels less than two years after seeking election to the European Parliament shows Fine Gael has a flip-flop attitude to Europe.
A number of Fine Gael MEPs are leaving themselves open to the accusation that they are using Brussels as a gravy train.
Mr Coveney is leading the Fine Gael stampede out of Brussels and his behaviour underlines his party's flip-flop attitude to Europe. At the last European elections, Fine Gael talked a lot about the importance their party attaches to Europe.
It is now becoming increasingly clear that, for many Fine Gael representatives, their commitment to the European Parliament extends no further than an interim period between Dáil elections and an opportunity to top up their salaries.
Fine Gael's flight from Europe is motivated by narrow party political considerations and is deeply cynical. Simon Coveney sought and received a mandate to the European Parliament for a full term. It is now apparent that he has deceived the electorate and this does nothing positive for politics or Ireland's reputation in the European Union.
There is intense speculation that Gay Mitchell and Mairéad McGuinness also intend to seek a Dáil nomination. It is now time for them to come clean on their positions and to explain whether they intend to dishonour the mandate they received from the electorate to serve in the European Parliament until 2009. - Yours, etc,
JOHN O'DONOGHUE TD,
Minister for Arts,
Sport and Tourism,
Dublin 2.