Morals, not broken promises, please Fine Gael

Prior to the last general election Taoiseach Enda Kenny made a commitment to the Irish people that if Fine Gael was returned to power they would dispense with parish-pump politics, sleaze, cronyism and political nepotism, so long associated with the body politic in this state.

He was very convincing, and we, the electorate, in our innocence believed parish pump political nominations were to be banished to the political graveyard. How wrong we were.

Loathe as I am to raise the issue of the establishment or perpetuation of political dynasties in Dáil Éireann, with specific focus on two recently demised TD’s, I feel that to ignore the issue for fear of heaping further sorrow on the bereaved families would be an act of cowardice.

I refer to the late Shane McEntee, whose daughter Helen succeeded him in Dáil Éireann in 2013 and the late Nicky McFadden, whose sister Gabrielle will contest the by-election to fill her late sister’s seat if she wins the Fine Gael selection convention. These cases epitomise parish-pump politics and political nepotism in equal measure. Fine Gael has claimed exclusive occupancy of the moral high ground. FG may know morals, may speak morals and may think morals, but this is of no consequence if they do not act morally.

Tom Cooper

Templeogue

Dublin 6w