Rabbitte should be wary of boomerangs
It says a lot when Mr Rabbitte has to look outside his own Labour Party to another party’s TD to make a comparison with the workload of the Sinn Féin deputies.
If my own experience on Cork city council is anything to by, then the Labour leader has his hands full looking for positive points of comparison with Sinn Féin politicians. His own party’s record of voting on the city council has been erratic, to say the least.
For example, Labour representatives are split down the middle when it comes to the issue of service charges, voting both for and against every year.
Earlier this year, even I was shocked when Labour councillors in Cork voted for means testing for the disabled persons’ grant contrary to their own party’s national policy.
The effect of this is that those on the lowest income will have to find 20% of their own costs in converting their homes, which is clearly beyond the means of many less well-off disabled people.
I think the lesson for the Labour leader is that he should not throw stones lest they become boomerangs. Stick to discussing policy issues.
Jonathan O’Brien,
11, Fairfield Green,
Farranree,
Cork.
