Sir, - The full horror of deregulation is now beginning to reveal itself. Young couples who remortgaged their family homes to buy a "job" now face financial ruin and hardship.
I spoke with one man last week who is recovering from a heart bypass operation. He informed me that he would have to return to work as soon as he is well enough. He is 75 years of age. If he had worked in another job, he would have been paying into a pension scheme.
Very many people like him had a reasonable expectation of retiring with some form of income from their business either by selling on after many years of hard work or by letting his business. Now they have nothing. But before you jump to point out his faults, consider how you might feel if he was your father.
Many people went on the airwaves during the taxi crisis before Christmas to compare their business or shop and to say they also took a risk. There is a fundamental difference. A shop can change its product line. Even if it ceases to function as a shop, the proprietor can sell the lease. But a taxi cannot change its product line and now the lease (the taxi plate) has been made worthless.
Of the endless callers to me each day, none has been contacted by a local politician to offer help, consolation, or even explanation. Our elected political representatives stood by and watched their colleagues destroy the lives of so many of their constituents in a shameful and cowardly manner. They abdicated their responsibilities.
Everybody in Government has a duty of care. They were elected on foot of a promise. It is time they kept that promise. - Yours, etc.,
Jerry Brennan, Hon Secretary, SIPTU, Dublin Taxi Drivers Branch, Parnell Square, Dublin 1.