Discredited Government only making things worse

THE urgent business of rebuilding the economy cannot take place against the backdrop of the persistent displays of self-interest by the parties that created so many of our woes.

We see yet another example of this attitude with the board of Bank of Ireland’s audacious decision to award its chief executive an almost €1.5m pension top-up. How many times have similar decisions been witnessed since the crisis began, with no resultant consequences?

More important than all of this is that the Government hasn’t got any moral authority to take the measures necessary to restore the economy. While bankers thumb their noses at the populace the Government mumbles mealy-mouthed soundbites about “voluntarily forgoing” bonuses or “considering the national interest”. At the same time they bully and cajole their own low-paid public servants. For the past 18 months comments and observations such as these have been made to no avail. The Government stubbornly clings on.

Letter writers to the Irish Examiner have called for a general election. The people demand it, but to no avail. The Government still stubbornly clings on.

One way or another, the Government has to go. The longer it stays, putting its own survival ahead of everything else, the further it damages Ireland’s fragile situation.

The only question is how long will this “republican party” continue to escalate the damage. Their continuing in power is so absurd as to be akin to calling on arsonists who burned a building to the ground to engage in its reconstruction. The public will never accept taking the corrective measures necessary to return the country to a sound economic basis from those who ruined it. Public servants see through the Government’s charade and won’t be bullied and threatened by people who have suffered no personal punishment themselves. This is basic human psychology. However, I would vouch that a new government with a fresh mandate, which could legitimately claim not to have been party to the current mess, could administer the necessary medicine.

A general election needs to be called now before the country becomes ungovernable.

JD Mangan

The Haven

Stillorgan Road

Stillorgan

Co Dublin