Snip the Oireachtas

THE Bord Snip Nua report highlights many areas where savings can be made. Many of these were plain for everyone to see, but the report has laid them out clearly.

Implementing them will be painful, but if there is a fair approach to their implementation, then I think people will accept them for the overall good.

The question is — has the Government got the courage to proceed? Brian Cowen’s comments that implementation will not take place until next year is a further act of political cowardice — if they need to be done, let’s start now.

One area An Bord Snip seemed to ignore is the number of TDs and senators we have and this cannot be overlooked if we are serious about cutting unnecessary costs.

Let’s have a debate about this, and if the people feel 20 or 30 or whatever number of TDs are sufficient to run the country, let’s make plans to reduce to that number as quickly as possible.

George Dwyer

Bishopscourt Park

Wilton

Cork