Sir, – It is vital that ongoing negotiations on the formation of the next government deliver a clear, comprehensive agreement that will ensure the next administration is in a position to run its full term. The next government needs to have an unwavering focus on the significant challenges we face as a country, one with the mandate, authority and capacity to plan ambitiously and take difficult decisions if needed. The country would not be served well by a government preoccupied by the possibility of an imminent general election.
Any political agreement must first and foremost serve the interests of the country as a whole. Over the coming days, all parties and TDs must play their part in supporting the creation of a stable environment for policy-making and legislation that will last a full Dáil term.
The Irish economy is moving in the right direction, but domestic pressures, global economic uncertainty and a possible vote by the UK to leave the EU mean we cannot take the recovery for granted. We need a government that can effectively manage every eventuality and is able to capitalise on opportunities as they arise. If the conditions are right, business will create the growth, jobs and tax revenue needed to deliver the public services, infrastructure and living standards that we all aspire to. – Yours, etc,
PATRICIA CALLAN,
Director,
Small Firms Association;
MARK FIELDING,
Chief Executive,
ISME;
DANNY McCOY,
Chief Executive,
Ibec;
SIMON McKEEVER,
Chief Executive,
Irish Exporters Association;
TOM PARLON,
Director General,
Construction Industry
Federation;
IAN TALBOT,
Chief Executive,
Chambers Ireland.