A chara, - I was most amused by the comments of the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Jim McDaid who said that Sinn Féin should be closer to Fianna Fáil "in brotherhood terms" (The Irish Times, April 2nd). The Minister informed voters that by "voting Sinn Féin in the long grass you are voting Fine Gael".
The Minister for Fun also claimed that I voted "80 to 85 per cent of the time for Fine Gael" in the Dáil.
I can only presume that the Minister refers to my voting record on Private Members' motions. Under Dáil rules, only Fine Gael and Labour are entitled to Private Members' time to table such motions.
Over the past five years, these motions have focused on the many failures of this Government in such areas as health, education, transport, childcare, and people with disabilities. I have spoken in support of these motions and voted accordingly and have highlighted the abysmal record of this and also of previous governments.
When I took my seat in the Dáil, I pledged to vote on each issue on its merits as the sole representative of an independent political party, Sinn Féin. It would seem that in Mr McDaid's simple political world, not voting with the FF/PD government on every occasion means "voting for Fine Gael". I think the electorate is somewhat more sophisticated and will also see the crudity of the Minister's argument that you should vote for the Government because it holds the purse strings.
I would remind the Minister that the strings, the purse and its contents belong to the people and they and they alone will decide the make-up of the next Dáil. I am confident that they will return a team of Sinn Féin TDs despite the Minister's efforts to confuse and dissuade. - Is mise,
CAOIMHGHÍN Ó CAOLÁIN TD,
Teach Laighean,
Baile Átha Cliath 2.