IN YOUR HANDS

IN 23 days every Irish citizen living in this country will have a chance to look to the future and promote the values and policies they believe will make this a better country, a fairer society, and, after a lot of pain and sacrifice, an economy once again capable of sustaining our needs, protecting the vulnerable among us and fuelling our ambitions.

The February 25 election will give each of us a chance to contribute towards creating a renewed sense of possibility, optimism and determination to go with the forbearance, the sense of betrayal and terrible, destructive anger that are an entirely natural response to the destruction of opportunity and wealth we have seen over the last few years.

Using your vote to replace a government that has failed terribly is an essential part of democracy — and a privilege as any Egyptian person will agree — but it is the negative side of the coin.