Time for serious politicians to get off the fence

Clearly we can march till the cows come home, we can vent our national spleen on Talk to Joe and we can waste acres of forests writing to the papers.

Kenny and the Government will not change the more brutal aspects of the budget because they don’t have the freedom to change. They have been forced, lemming like, by the Troika to embark on a destructive economic rollercoaster without any real vision or knowledge of the eventual consequences for Irish society.

They target the grey brigade, the infirm and the young while cushioning themselves and the rich. The recent sleight of hand in the budget to protect the mega pensions of politicians, judges and senior civil servants, is just another case in point.

Unfortunately, Irish people have shown that we are obsequious and docile in the extreme in accepting full financial responsibility, for generations to come, for the failures and greed of the political class, bankers and insiders.

We have, of course, the ballot box next May for the local and European elections and, hopefully, we will vent our anger democratically on those who destroyed our economy and those who made it worse.

That begs the immediate question: Who to vote for?

It is surely time for those serious politicians and advocates with experience and integrity to get off the fence and present themselves as a viable alternative force to the electorate before it is too late.

John Healy

Bishopstown Road

Cork