Madam, – Our financial crisis deepens by the day. The Taoiseach fails to lead, the Government fails to grasp the scale of our problems and Opposition parties think that sniping is a valid response. Meanwhile, Siptu threatens mayhem. If we don’t get a grip very soon a bad situation will become a whole lot worse. We need a leader who can and will take action and we need him or her to act now.
Brian Cowen should dissolve this Government (as distinct from dissolving the Dáil) and invite the Opposition parties to join Fianna Fáil and the Greens in a Government of National Unity for a two-year period. Mr Cowen can show true patriotism by not offering himself to be the new taoiseach. He has shot his bolt, so let us move on quickly.
A Government of National Unity is the only way forward if we want to manage the crisis. It makes more sense than social partnership, now proving so costly. A resolute national government can face down those who would protect their own situation regardless of the plight of the country despite weasel words of sharing their concern for the nation’s vulnerable citizens.
You can depend on the unions, the farmers, the lawyers and the venal politicians to look after their own. But I believe that there are politicians who can and will rise to the occasion and who will do the right thing by all the people, even to the extent of accepting massive cuts to their own perks and privileges.
When they do that and are seen to do that, the public sector unions and others will have little choice but to become part of the solution to our plight, rather than making the problem worse.
Two years is long enough for such an arrangement and for hair-shirt management, but it could be the greatest two years in our nation’s history. – Yours, etc,
LAURENCE POWER,
Temple Manor Green,
Celbridge,
Co Kildare.