Sir, - With one stroke of his pen, our Minister of Finance, Mr Quinn, makes a couple of magnanimous gestures. A tax concession to old, single folk living alone, should they wish to fit an alarm in their houses. What about old couples? Are they more able to fight off thugs armed with bars? How many of these old folk - many of them pensioners, are paying tax?
A £2 per week increase in the pay packet for workers goes up in smoke literally via petrol and cigarette increases.
Our Minister for Craic, wishes to spend £12 million on a third TV station, plus a £10 million subsidy per year to keep it going. Our existing stations are padded out with third rate American and Australian soaps trying to fill viewing space!
Our fishing fleet, we are told, is 35 years old. Twelve million pounds would put six new vessels on the high seas, and £10 million per year would surely help maintenance costs.
I'm thinking of emigrating to Cuckoo Land, where I'll have first hand knowledge of all the new and exciting plans and ideas that come from our various Ministers from time to time. - Yours, etc.,
Brannockstown,
Naas,
Co Kildare.
