FIONA MARSHALL,
Sir, - Bertie Ahern nearly killed me today. I was driving up the N11, heading towards Bray, when he dived onto my windscreen. As I struggled to keep control of the car, he peered in at me, smiling, telling me he had "A lot done" and "more to do".
That was all well and good, but the problem was, was I going to live to vote on May 17th? I indicated and swerved into the hard shoulder, in a bid to shake him off. Bertie showed he was not a man to be easily swayed, so I had to get out of my car and take him off the windscreen. I propped him in the back seat and took him home.
I urge the people who put up such posters to be sure that they are secure.
Bertie is now safely ensconced in an armchair in my sitting room. And how I love to chat with him every evening, as we put the country to rights. Well, I do. He just sits there saying he has a lot done and a lot more to do. My question is what has he done, and what is he going to do?
I wait with bated breath. In the meantime if anyone from Fianna Fáil wants to collect Bertie, please do. - Yours, etc.,
FIONA MARSHALL,
Seaview,
Kilcoole,
Co Wicklow.
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Sir, - So Bertie Ahern thinks that speeding is worth only a flippant remark when challenged about it. Come to think of it, his fellow TDs do not give much thought to safety on our roads, either.
If they did, they would have passed legislation years ago to ban all lamp-post advertising because of the likelihood of it causing an accident by drawing drivers' attention to the faces of the candidates.
This was an acceptable form of local advertising in the past when traffic was light. But with the massive growth in car ownership, these posters are now a serious distraction to drivers. Today, total concentration is necessary while driving and the luxury of looking casually at things outside one's own line of vision is long gone. Some lamp-posts have as many as four posters attached, so it is impossible to ignore them.
I have yet to be convinced of their ability to sway the electorate to vote in a particular way. It would be better to have them recycled to make toilet paper, from which the voter would get, at least, some value! - Yours, etc.
BRENDAN M. REDMOND,
Hazelbrook Road
Terenure
Dublin 6W.
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Sir, - The question is sometimes asked: what purpose is served by the Senate? The answer is given in the list of nominations for the 29th Dáil. It is a preparatory college. Of the 58 senators in the State, no fewer than 23 are candidates for "promotion" to the Lower House. These are:
Fianna Fáil: D. Cassidy (Westmeath), F. Chambers (Mayo), M. Cox (Galway West), J. Cregan (Limerick West), M. Finneran (Longford-Roscommon), D. Fitzpatrick (Dublin Central), J. Glennan (Dublin North), D. Kiely (Kerry North), M.J. Nolan (Carlow-Kilkenny), D. O'Donovan (Cork South West), S. Ó Fearghaill (Kildare South).
Fine Gael: E. Caffrey (Mayo), L. Cosgrave (Dun Laoghaire), A. Doyle (Wexford), M. Jackman (Limerick East), H. Keogh (Dun Laoghaire), F. O'Dowd (Louth), T. Ridge (Dublin Mid West), M. Taylor-Quinn (Clare)
Labour: J. Costello (Dublin Central), K. O'Meara (Tipperary North), B. Ryan (Cork South Central). This is the full complement of Labour Party senators.
PD: J. Dardis (Kildare South). - Yours, etc.,
Canon J.L.B. DEANE,
Gartan,
Bandon,
Co Cork.
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Sir, - I was most surprised to read in Alan Shatter's letter of May 3rd of the failure of your Security Editor, Jim Cusack, to attend the launch of the Fine Gael justice and law reform proposals. How could you sanction the piece by Mr Cusack promoted on your front page of the previous day - "Fianna Fáil has got it right on crime" - knowing of his non-attendance at the press conference? During a general election one would have expected a higher standard. - Yours, etc.,
JIM MORRISSEY,
Laurel Park,
Ballinlough,
Cork.
Jim Cusack writes: The piece in question was based on a comparison of the various parties' manifestos.