Madam, – I have cast votes for the Green Party in every general, local and European election since the mid 1990s. Last week was the first time I chose not to give any preference to any Green Party candidate, almost entirely because of the party’s decision to remain in a failing Government. I realise now that my choice was mirrored by thousands of citizens who are eager to send a clear message to the parties of Government (and specifically FF) that their wastefulness, carelessness and lack of planning will no longer be tolerated by the electorate. It is surely time for John Gormley to put policy ahead of power and bring an end to collusion with a party that cares little about the green agenda. Indeed, the only way the Greens will recapture my vote is if Gormley walks into Leinster House next week and utters three little words: “We are out”. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – In May 1940, when Britain had its back to the wall in the second World War, Neville Chamberlain resigned as prime minister immediately after winning (my italics) a vote of confidence in the House of Commons, because he realised that the British people had lost their confidence in him and his policies.
Brian Cowen is unlikely to have such heroic patriotic insight. It does not matter if there is or is not a successful “heave” or a token “renegotiation” by the Greens, (or the independents). A face-painted new taoiseach, plucked from the ranks of those who have been creating the mess for a decade, will make no difference. We will continue to sink into a morass of dither and own goals.
Fundamental to any real recovery is a national mood of “we can do it”. This is only now possible under an entirely new government. Now. Not in six months or two and half years’ time.
As the clock ticks away, radical damage is being done to our economy – and our reputation, (and self-image) – as an effective “can do” socio-economic entity. The gap between us and our international competitors widens – possibly to the point where catching -up, let alone actually competing, may be impossible in this generation.
Though it may appear to have nothing to do with economics, the Ryan report on child abuse has dealt a massive, slow-burning blow to our national self-esteem. We desperately need somebody credible to tell us that we are “better than that”. And to convince ourselves, in a national meitheal, that we are indeed “better than that”.
Constitutionally, this Government is maintained in power by 80-plus TDs. Constitutionally, each of those individual men and women has a responsibility, not primarily to their party, but to all their constituents. And to the nation as a whole.
If less than a dozen of them were to vote against the current Government (and effectively sack it on our behalf), then it would be a matter for the President, exercising her Constitutional prerogative, to decide whether to call an election. Or allow an alternative taoiseach, from Labour or Fine Gael, supported by “national” Fianna Fáil or Green TDs, to form an alternative government of national solidarity. Immediately. To supply the key psychological moment and start the turn- around. – Yours, etc
Madam, – Is it time to change the opening words of our national anthem to “Sin é, Fianna Fáil”? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Let me preface my remarks by saying that I’m apolitical. I’ve been listening now for hours to double-think and nonsense from all Opposition parties to the point of nausea. Some comments beggar belief.
The essentials then are: the majority of the electorate think that if the Government is replaced then the levies will be reversed. (Both Fianna Fáil and the Green Party have been punished for putting the country first!) This will not be the case.
I’m surprised that a member of the Opposition has not asked this simple question. We as a nation are confronted with a crisis which we must face up to. The cause of it is well known. Blame has yet to be apportioned and the culprits jailed. So also with the other group ie the rapists. Where is the money to come from to finance all the welfare being spoken about and indeed the high level of unemployment?
This factor alone is a crisis in a crisis. So what do we hear but calls for a general election. A general election is the last thing that we need and strikes are completely out. What we have in essence is not alone silliness beyond belief but border-line treason.
And so on Tuesday the stupid game being prosecuted by the opposition will continue with a known time-wasting motion of no confidence. I’ve no confidence in the opposition and none whatsoever in Enda Kenny to get our country out of this hole, even with the great George Lee from RTÉ.
So let’s get behind what we have,accept the pain, and get on with it. 2012 will come soon enough, hopefully before the IMF. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – One of the more significant consequences of the election results has been the very poor performance of the Green Party. Of extreme concern to the party in particular is the fact that they now have no local seats in the Greater Dublin area.
A strong factor in the reversal has been due to the electorate responding to the party breaking its pre-election promise in 2007 not to enter into coalition with Fianna Fáil. As was seen with Labour’s poor performance at the 1997 General Election (despite having been a coalition partner in an outgoing Government with consistently high approval ratings), voters have a long memory about parties seeking particular mandates before then discarding pledges in favour of apparent “political pragmatism”. All parties should again take heed from the election results that it is ultimately impractical in the longer term to disregard well-established core principles.
This is a key turning point in the history of the Green Party. If the party decides to stay within the current Coalition, then, on evidence provided at the weekend, it is possible that the party could return no members to the next Oireachtas. Drastic action by its leadership is required to avoid a situation whereby the membership may have to become active in another party, much the same way as the Progressive Democrats have largely been assimilated into Fine Gael, in order to continue campaigning for the policy platform on which the party was founded. I am sure that there are many veterans of the original Irish Ecology Party who appreciate the disadvantages of not holding enough electoral seats in terms of being able to effect influence and political change.
Minister Gormley would be serving the best interests of his own party, as well as that of the country, if he were to lead the Greens out of the current Government at the earliest opportunity. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Can anyone explain to me why Fine Gael and Labour are calling on the Government to step down in order to respect the decision of the electorate, yet in the aftermath of the Lisbon referendum they both supported another referendum? Why is it that the wishes of the electorate should only be respected when it suits the parties? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Fianna Fáil has once again demonstrated its unique ability to destroy any party with which it coalesces. The next time they need a partner would they please take Sinn Féin and really do “the state some service”. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The Green Party has an opportunity to redeem itself; leave the morally bankrupt and self-serving Government to which it has shackled itself and it will stand a chance of forgiveness. If it hangs on in Government, it risks losing not only its Dáil seats also the future of its own agenda. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – It would appear the Taoiseach’s mammy taught him always to finish off his Greens. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Eoin Ryan trotted out the current amnesic Fianna Fáil party line after failing to retain his European Parliament seat early Monday morning. He stated that he was being punished by the electorate for the decisions that had to be made by the Government in these tough economic times. When will Fianna Fáil realise that they are not suffering so much for the recent decisions made in a tough economic period but for the lack of tough decisions made during the easy economic times of the last 10 years? – Yours, etc,