FF rebels fighting wrong cause

ONE shouldn’t be too surprised to hear that Fianna Fáil backbenchers are threatening a revolt. You’d expect adevelopment like that given our frightful economic emergency. But it’s not over government policy or proposals on any of these or other weighty issues that the Soldiers of Destiny are grumbling.

It’s the prospect of the drink/driving limit being further reduced. They fear this move would spell the death-knell for the fabric of life and culture in rural Ireland, seemingly overlooking the fact that very few people ever go out for one drink anyway.

As a rule, they either drink no alcohol when driving or give the keys to someone else, hire a taxi, or make other arrangements.

So Transport Minister Noel Dempsey’s proposal would make very little difference to the status quo of social life in any part of Ireland, rural or urban. And there’s one very likely positive consequence of the proposed change that these brave rebels don’t seem to have considered ... that it just might save some precious lives. Earlier this month, the FF foot-soldiers also threatened a revolt, again over a perceived impending threat to the rural way of life. When the Green party mulled over the possible inclusion of a hare-coursing ban in the revised programme for government, Deputy Ned O’Keeffe warned that he and other backbenchers would act decisively to block any such move.

The preservation of the right to drink more while driving and the freedom to watch hares being terrorised for fun would therefore seem to be of greater concern to these politicians than any of the measures that will affect, for better or worse, the lives of millions of Irish people for generations.

Is it really possible that publicans and coursing clubs have more influence over FF backbenchers than the trade union movement, pensioners, the jobless, the sick, victims of negative equity, the news media and any other grouping or lobby one cares to mention?

If so, then we can be sure it’s not just rumour or speculation … Fianna Fáil is truly revolting.

John Fitzgerald

Lr Coyne Street

Callan

Co Kilkenny