Minister’s letter just a cheap political jibe

WHILE I am no supporter of Fine Gael, I have to take issue with John O’ Donoghue’s inane drivel (Irish Examiner letters, November 23).

The minister castigates Fine Gael for proposing to compensate taxi drivers and eircom shareholders — two injured parties who had their money and value stolen from them by his party’s high-handed attitudes.

In view of the attacks on nurses in our A&E departments, FG’s ‘drunk tank’ proposals don’t seem as idiotic as the minister would have us believe. His own party seems to think that throwing more of our money at overpaid consultants will actually solve that problem.

He laughs at the idea of boot camps while his own party wildly overspends on land for more prisons. And most of all, it seems his letter is merely a cheap political jibe composed in the rarified air of his comfortable Dáil seat from which he doesn’t see the reality the rest of us have to suffer because of his buffoonery and that of others like him.

He is a member of a Government that presides over wasted budgets on projects such as e-voting and PPARS. His Government also made a complete mess of the Aer Lingus flotation. And these people tell us they are the safe pair of hands on the economic tiller.

In recent elections we have voted in a party of go-boys who became drunk on their own self-importance, wasted our heritage, looked after their buddies and probably want to be remembered as great statesmen as a result.

Enda Kenny may not, at present, seem like a viable alternative Taoiseach, but at least his party is trying to come to grips with the real issues.

John Mallon

5 Shamrock Grove

Mayfield

Cork