Sir, - At a time of unprecedented economic prosperity, when Government coffers are full to overflowing, why is it that we seem to be in the grip of some kind of national paralysis?
Despite years of talk and endless reports, little seems to get done. We have traffic chaos in our cities and towns, continuing slaughter on our roads, a hopelessly inadequate sign-posting system and a public transport service which beggars belief. The extension of the DART to Greystones and Malahide has not yet been completed some four years after the project was announced, while we don't seem to be able to make up our minds whether Luas should be under the ground or over the ground or, indeed, whether it should remain up in the air where it has been for several years now. Years after it was announced, the tunnel to Dublin Port has not yet left the drawing-board.
Total helplessness seems to characterise our approach to the problems of litter, waste disposal and the pollution of our rivers and lakes. Although the country is drowning in a sea of litter there is little evidence of any serious attempt to tackle the problem, even at the basic level of providing and servicing an adequate number of litter bins, not to mention enforcement of the law. Waste disposal has been allowed to develop into a serious national problem before any attempt is made to deal with it while a similar situation obtains in regard to the pollution of our rivers and lakes.
Our health service is in a state of permanent turmoil, lurching from one crisis to another, while our failure to anticipate and tackle the housing problem is impeding our economic growth and causing serious hardship for many people. Our immigration policy is a shambles threatening to deteriorate into civil unrest while many other social problems such as homelessness, deprivation, the provision of suitable accommodation for young offenders and generally providing for people with disabilities seem to be incapable of resolution. Almost daily one hears representatives of concerned organisations complaining of inadequate resources, bureaucratic bungling and hopelessly out-dated legislation.
There may be many reasons for the state of affairs which I have outlined but I strongly suspect that, paramount amongst them, is an inordinate fear of losing power and that, therefore, doing nothing is the preferred option when faced with the possibility of taking any action which might upset some powerful vested interests. - Yours, etc.,
M. D. Kennedy, Silchester Park, Glenageary, Co. Dublin.