Sir, – Una Mullally accuses the Tánaiste of not “getting it” and lists the “it” as what people value and desire, their vision for the future, how they want to relate to their politicians who should understand the needs and wants of the aforementioned “people” (“Fine Gael is completely disconnected and does not even realise it”, Opinion & Analysis, June 27th). The people are not a homogeneous group and their values, needs and wants are quite varied. Some people value privacy, some have no difficulty in airing their particular difficulties. Some want the State to be the sole provider of all services, while others want choice, and value the private sector. Looking toward the future, some people want politicians to take climate change into all decision making, even when this might interfere with their disposable income; others believe that there is no point in trying to save the planet if some countries are not making any effort in this area.
The task of national politicians is the formulation of legislation and in doing so they have to take into account many diverse views. One possible outcome of same is that “the people” at the extreme ends of the political spectrum are rarely satisfied. – Yours, etc,
MARGARET LEE,
Newport,
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Co Tipperary.