Sir, – Your editorial "Kicking the can down the road" (June 22nd) concludes with the comment, "Government handling of these contentious issues reflects timidity and a limited horizon". Our highly paid Ministers and TDs have no intention of taking decisive action that, while beneficial for the nation, might harm their re-election prospects. I think it's known as politics! – Yours, etc,
MIKE CORMACK,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
A chara, – First it was water charges, then the Eighth Amendment, and now bins. I wait in suspense for the next issue to suffer a period of “review”, a “suspension” or, God forbid, a citizens’ convention. –
Is mise,
RÓISÍN NIC AODHGÁIN,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – I note with interest that our Government, which is expected to last in office for at most two years, has just released spending plans covering five years. This is after launching a new health plan covering 10 years.
While the much maligned and hard to quantify “fiscal space” figure is a cornerstone of the spending plan, I don’t see any reference to reducing our national debt of €200 billion. Possibly a slight oversight? Also, I’m worried that no one ever speculates as to how much extra we will pay servicing our national debt, when interest rates inevitably increase in the future. Again, an oversight?
Finally, the Government is now talking about a “rainy day” fund. As this won’t start until 2019, it is a meaningless announcement. One wonders will contributions into this fund come from our “fiscal space” or, as the “fiscal space” figures are really theoretical, are we talking about theoretical amounts being paid into a theoretical fund? I’m confused. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN CULLEN,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.