Those seeking sacrifices must share the blame

YOU quote (February 5) Finance Minister Brian Lenihan’s appeal to all sections of society to put their shoulders to the wheel. Does this mean all workers will get the same time off next Christmas/new year as all Oireachtas members have just had.

It’s not as if they didn’t have anything to talk about. The Government must take a certain amount of responsibility for the current state of the nation. It encouraged the building boom thereby putting all its eggs in one basket.

It didn’t discourage the banks from giving out mortgages in excess of 100% and, in some cases, 120%. All of this for-profit building has contributed in no small way to a lot of the flooding we had recently, causing more misery and hardship.