Madam, - As the furore over the over-70s' medical cards was drawing to a close, we discovered there was a Minister for Older People.
Last weekend, after the crisis over pork had been resolved, we found out that there was a Minister for Food Safety. Perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention, but I neither saw nor heard her during the previous week.
If Brian Cowen wants to regain some semblance of credibility, he should immediately sack at least half of these invisible ministers and also their vast entourages, whose function is to man their constituency offices at our expense.
I accept that this won't solve the economic crisis, but when the next round of swingeing cuts is announced we can take some comfort in the knowledge that waste is being tackled at all levels. - Yours, etc,
BARBARA LEAHY,
Bawnishal,
Clohane,
Co Cork.