FF sold country down the drain

THE dogs in the street have known for years that Fianna Fáil was in the pockets of big business, developers and bankers.

A lot of the money going into the FF coffers was given quietly but with the Celtic Tiger the party bigwigs felt they could afford to be a bit more public about this relationship, hence the tent at the Galway races.

Friendships naturally blossomed in such convivial surroundings and a very strong bond was built up over the years. To many outsiders, including the media, the Galway tent was seen as a place where people could let their hair down and have a laugh.

However, the invited guests knew well what was expected of them and how advantageous it would be to rub shoulders with ministers of the day.

All sorts of doors would be open to them — planning obstacles removed with a nod, the rule book discarded completely. It was a free-for-all until eventually these people lost the run of themselves, so the tent was closed down last year, but not until the horse had bolted.

The result of this relationship is now manifesting itself. Thousands of thrifty people, mostly elderly or nearing retirement age, put their money into shares so they might have a nest-egg to fall back on in their twilight years. Like most of us they were brought up believing in the integrity of banks — today that belief has been completely shattered. They now share pain like the young mortgage-holders losing their jobs and unable to keep up payments for their

overpriced homes.

What has been happening is criminal. FF, for 30 pieces of silver, sold this country down the drain. How in God’s name can the Greens or independents support a party that put itself before the interests of the country. By supporting FF the Greens and independents are no better.

On RTÉ’s Questions and Answers recently, Eamon Gilmore was asked whether he would form a government with FF if the outcome of the next general election created such a scenario — he refused to be drawn on this, and quite rightly so.

Under normal circumstances if the results were stacked in such a way someone in his position would be obliged to form a government accordingly, but the situation is not normal.

FF has gone beyond the Pale. It has put two fingers up at democracy and it should now do the decent thing and go.

Leo Armstrong

Prosperous

Naas

Co Kildare