MALCOLM BYRNE,
A chara, - The Union of Students in Ireland is to urge students to vote for any party except Fianna Fáil (The Irish Times, May 10th). It is a new stance for the union to become so overtly political - previously, campaigns were about encouraging students to vote and outlining to them where the parties stood on key issues. Students are intelligent enough to make up their own minds.
The current union leadership should recall that this Government has delivered in a number of key areas. USI was given a seat on the Higher Education Authority for the first time. A specific grant to help the most economically disadvantaged students was introduced. Third-level grants were increased at least in line with inflation (remember: the previous Rainbow Government actually froze grants one year). A statutory minimum wage was introduced, which benefits the majority of students in low-paid employment. Financial supports were put in place for PLC students.
I accept that there are other issues that need to be addressed, but USI is failing to give credit where credit is due. - Is mise,
MALCOLM BYRNE,
(Education Officer,
USI, 1996-98),
Gorey,
Co Wexford.
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Sir, - With the election now well under way, rural communities could easily conclude that they are now the forgotten ones. Apart from the occasional mention of spatial strategy, there is little to interest even the most committed rural voter.
In this campaign, there is no mention of people with worthless free transport passes or small holders whose income is half the industrial wage.
There are young couples driving 40 and 50 miles to work, having left young children in the care of child-minders as early as 6.30am. They are driving from commuter towns where there is no attempt to create investment that would provide local employment and community facilities, or develop any type of local infrastructure - unless it is another badly planned private housing estate.
There are villages threatened with the end of local services such as post offices and banks, community development groups in need of direct help, instead of having to deal with layers of bureaucracy.
In the quest for economic competitiveness, we are putting aside any aspiration to a quality of life. If we want quality services, such as health, education, child care and care for those most in need, then we must pay for them.
That means presenting the electorate with the option of paying low taxes for inferior services, or increased tax for services of the highest quality. Sadly, these options have not been offered.
In the absence of real choice we are presented with a campaign dominated by odious party spin doctors, and a media so hungry that it will spend days eating custard pie and drinking mulled wine made from recipes designed to fatten the "don't knows", thus ensuring the lowest voter turnout in history. - Yours, etc.,
SEAMUS BOLAND,
National Co-ordinator,
Irish Rural Link,
Prospect House,
Eyre Square,
Galway.
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Sir, I promised myself I wouldn't get provoked into reaction during this election.
But I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Fianna Fail's incredible "don't go back to the 80s" line. What astonishing amnesia. Anyone else who thinks of the 80s thinks of Charles Haughey doubling the national debt as he spent taxpayers' money trying to buy the 1981 election, and then the full pack of Fianna Fáil in opposition fighting every effort to undo the damage they had done to the economy.
Etched in my memory of those years is the Opposition front bench of Fianna Fáil in full cry across the Dáil chamber, whipping up every pressure group, promising everyone everything, led by Mr Haughey with the present Taoiseach in full support, along with many others of his current Cabinet team.
It was only when Fine Gael in 1987 decided to support all necessary measures to rescue the country that Fianna Fáil was forced into responsibility. And that was because Ray McSharry saw the rightness of Fine Gael's decision, controlled Haughey and got his party to stop its grossly irresponsible behaviour.
All the indications are that the outgoing Government, despite the prosperity, have left the seeds of a new 1980s-style crisis behind them. I know who I'd prefer to see sorting it out. - Yours etc.
GEMMA HUSSEY,
Dartmouth Square,
Dulbin 6.
Sir, - How many times do women in public life, including Hillary Clinton, Mary Robinson and many current women TDs, remind us, "I'm a mother myself", when it comes to highlighting some area of social injustice.
Nobody, least of all any representative of the State, objects to the explicit claim that motherhood is not just a role alongside one's professional role, but also a relationship that brings with it the kind of experience and wisdom that benefits society and politics.
John Waters has, once again, brought to our attention another area of socio-political discrimination against men, in highlighting the case of Liam Ó Gogain, the founder and chairman of Parental Equality (Opinion, May 6th). Mr Ó Gogain decided to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming election, collected the requisite number of signatures on his nomination paper and presented himself to the returning officer and county registrar of Louth on the due date, only to be disqualified. The reason? He gave his occupation as "father and college lecturer."
Does fatherhood, as well as his professional role, not bring with it the kind of experience and wisdom that would benefit society and politics? - Yours, etc.,
Dr NOREEN O'CARROLL,
Carysfort Park,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
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Sir, - If we return Fianna Fáil to power we will deserve what we will undoubtedly get: more of the same - namely, arrogance, jobs for the boys, sleaze, corruption, evasion, obfuscation, and a total inability or unwillingness of leaders to answer a straight question with anything other than meaningless waffle.
Suggestions that Fianna Fáil might emerge from the election with an overall majority are extremely disturbing after all we have seen and heard in the past decade. I refuse to believe that a bright and intelligent Irish electorate could allow itself to be duped into bringing about such a regressive result.
This is a very serious election at a critical time for our country. As we have recently seen elsewhere in Europe, voter apathy is an enemy of democracy, and though many people, particularly the young, may feel disillusioned by the revelations of what some of our politicians have been up to, they must resist the temptation to stay away from the hustings. Every vote is vital.
I appeal to our youth - please, please think clearly and realise what a huge impact your collective vote can have on the way your country moves forward. The future is yours - don't squander it. - Yours, etc.,
GEAROID KILGALLEN,
Crosthwaite Park South,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.