Sir, – An Taoiseach has done it again. By coupling Defence with Agriculture he is effectively confirming Defence as a junior ministry.
Yet another sad day for those who take national defence seriously.
To say the least, it would never have happened in Liam Cosgrave’s time. Perhaps An Taoiseach will assign Simon Coveney a Minister of State who can look after Agriculture, so that the new Minister can concentrate properly on Defence matters? – Yours, etc,
Col DORCHA LEE (retired),
The Pines,
Beaufort Place,
Navan,
Co Meath.
Sir, – Simon Coveney, Minister for Defence and De Fences. – Yours, etc,
ÁINNLE O’NEILL,
Osprey Drive,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – Consigning such consummate parliamentarians as Messrs Gilmore, Quinn and Rabbitte to the backbenches makes no sense to me.
However, I wish Joan Burton well; and I sincerely hope she doesn’t rue to day she got rid of arguably Labour’s best and brightest – though somewhat long in the tooth – political operators. – Yours, etc,
PAUL DELANEY,
Beacon Hill,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.