Madam, - Dermot Ahern (May 13th) tells us that people worried about health, crime and jobs during the last election.
He seems to be blithely unaware of the fact that the same people are now even more worried about these issues as things go from bad to worse after another 12 months of PD/Fianna Fáil government.
Much of Mr Ahern's letter consists of game-playing with political terminology. His attempts to play the political smart alec will, I suspect, pass over the heads of most Fianna Fáil deputies.
Mr Ahern's main argument against Labour is the Fianna Fáil chestnut that his party has given more to health, social welfare, etc. than any Labour/Fine Gael coalition ever did. The fact is, of course, that over the past few years the amount of taxation accruing to government has been much greater than at any previous period in the history of the State.
No matter what government had been in power towards the end of the last century and the first two years of the present century, it would have found itself in a position of great wealth. It is becoming very tiresome to have to listen to, or read, Fianna Fáil propagandists claiming credit for increased funding given in some areas as if it had nothing to do with changed fiscal circumstances. This type of hypocrisy shows scant regard for the truth or the intelligence of the electorate.
Chuck it, Minister. - Yours, etc.,
TOM WILLIAMS, Goldenbridge Avenue, Dublin 8.