Sir, – Stephen Collins argues that "the Trump social media strategy . . . adopted here by Sinn Féin and a variety of extremists", combined with "aggressive grandstanding by opposition TDs" in Dáil Éireann, could hand the next election to the left ("Trump values appear set to prevail at next Irish election", Opinion & Analysis, January 22nd).
However, according to your news report, Oxfam is concerned that, "Ireland's nine billionaires saw their collective fortunes rise by €3.28 billion last year despite the deepest global recession in decades" ("Ireland's billionaires saw their fortunes rise by €3.28 billion last year in 'worrying trend'", News, January 25th).
At the same time, of course, many thousands of ordinary people in Ireland have lost their jobs and livelihoods during the coronavirus pandemic.
In short, Covid-19 has highlighted that Stephen Collins’s preferred traditional governing parties – throughout recent decades in power – have woefully failed to get to grips with the rapidly growing wealth gap between the super-rich and the rest of us.
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Am I alone in wondering if the political centre-right’s inability to tackle Ireland’s ever burgeoning economic inequality might have more to do with any possible future left-wing electoral success than “hate-filled” online communications strategies or occasional rowdy behaviour in the Dáil? – Yours, etc,
JOE McCARTHY,
Arbour Hill, Dublin 7.