Madam, - I note with interest that the PDs insist their general election manifesto did not contain any bogus promises (The Irish Times, June 5th).
Before the general election last year, Senator John Dardis published an article in the Carlow Nationalist saying that the proposed N9 motorway from Waterford to Dublin would be a waste of money.
In an attempt to capitalise on the obvious voter anger in South Kildare over the motorway, Senator Dardis said that the Progressive Democrats in government would cancel the project and instead upgrade the M9 to a high quality road. He made it quite clear that this was now party policy.
On April 4th 2002, he was quoted in The Irish Times as saying: "The Progressive Democrats in government will not provide taxpayers' money for a motorway that is not affordable. Even with the Celtic Tiger roaring the country could not afford an M9 motorway. It most certainly cannot now."
Despite being part of the Government that was planning to build the motorway, the PDs were saying that it was too expensive and too big and that if re-elected they would cancel the project. The PD manifesto spoke of the need to build motorways or high quality roads from Dublin to the regions.
So it is true to say that the PDs have broken promises. They promised that they would save the taxpayer €1 billion by building an appropriate road along the N9 Corridor and they have broken this promise. - Yours, etc.,
Cllr MARY WHITE,
Deputy leader,
Green Party,
Carlow.