Election 2016 – issues and controversies

Sir, – May I gently suggest to Desmond Gilhooly (February 19th), who is disappointed by the absence of aspiring TDs on his doorstep, that he put on his boots and attempt to visit every dwelling in the constituency of Dún Laoghaire, within a three week period. It might prove a daunting task; with 104,851 electors at the time of the last census, and let's say an average of three electors per household, he would need to visit 34,950 dwellings. In 21 days, starting at 6am and finishing at 10pm, his target would be 104 houses per hour.

Pity the poor politicians. No wonder they mirror our impossible demands with impossible promises. – Yours, etc,

JEAN SWIFT,

Dublin 18.

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Sir, – It is to be hoped that few electors will be taken in by promises made by competing political parties during this election campaign. History shows that promises will be broken with impunity as soon as the polling booths close on Friday. Not that reneging on promises is necessarily a bad thing. If there is anything worse than making extravagant promises, it would be any attempt by an incoming government to deliver on them. We do indeed remember 1977 and what the daftness of the Fianna Fáil election manifesto subsequently led to – massive unemployment and emigration, cutbacks to public services, and poverty and austerity throughout the 1980s.

Choosing how to vote on the basis of reckless promises or on perceived impressions of leaders’ debating skills is folly. Politicians and political parties may only sensibly be judged by reference to their past records. Talk is cheap, and if we do not learn from the mistakes of the past we are likely to repeat them. Voter beware. – Yours, etc,

PJ McDERMOTT,

Westport, Co Mayo.

A chara, – Further to Cllr Dermot Lacey's letter (February 18th), your readers may be interested to know that all four Labour party councillors on South Dublin County Council voted in favour of the 15 per cent reduction in the local property tax, as proposed by Sinn Féin. – Is mise,

Cllr SARAH HOLLAND,

Dublin 16.

Sir, – Noel Whelan has raised the issue of fear in the election campaign ("Fine Gael has nothing left to offer voters except fear", Opinion & Analysis, February 19th).

Given the calamity that hit this country in 2010, is it not natural that fear of the consequences of what the powerful might decide to do should be a natural reaction? If we had a bit more fear instilled in us about what powerful politicians, not to mention the powerful in financial institutions, were deciding to do during the boom, it might have served us very well and saved us from a lot of austerity. – Yours, etc,

A LEAVY,

Dublin 13.

Sir, – Reading the various complaints about election posters, I have a suggestion. We should adopt the regime that applies in some other European countries, where the only posters allowed are on billboards or noticeboards in each local centre and on which each political party or local candidate can place one poster. In Ireland, this system could be applied in each village or small town, and in larger urban areas at the level of, for example, each parish or local polling station area. – Yours, etc,

CIARÁN CONNOLLY,

Raheny,

Dublin 5.

Sir, – It seems to me that one of the odd things about the current general election campaign is the abuse of the term manifesto. Traditionally manifestos are relatively short general documents focusing on a series of headline points. This time around we have a plethora of documents claiming to be manifestos, when in fact they are long programme documents often dealing with a single policy area. As a result, we are being asked to read hundreds of pages online, which few voters can afford to print and which can only be given very summary media coverage.

An interesting example is the massive Fianna Fáil manifesto. As someone who believes in the introduction of a basic universal income as the answer to some fundamental economic and social problems, I almost missed the commitment to establish a commission to examine basic income buried deep in that manifesto.

Are there other treasures hidden away in manifestos that I could welcome as signs of a preparedness to look at radical new ideas and to question the conservative assumptions behind so much of the economic thinking that has failed us? – Yours, etc,

NEVILLE KEERY,

Blackrock,

Co Dublin.

A chara, – I am not a Fianna Fáil supporter, but I think PJ McDermott's suggestion that Micheál Martin is not a man of substance because he sat at the cabinet table during the years his party presided over the government's building up a huge deficit is a step too far (February 19th).

The man has served honourably and creditably as minister of four different government departments over the years. His record contains many achievements; but his legacy from his time as minister for health is particularly noteworthy. The smoking ban he introduced, in the face of huge opposition from vested interests, transformed workplaces in this country, leaving them healthier for evermore. It had the added bonus of making a night out in a pub or restaurant a far more pleasant experience. And his time as party leader, when Fianna Fáil has been at the lowest point in its history, shows grit and determination, not to mention – dare I say it – character. – Is mise,

Rev PATRICK G BURKE,

Castlecomer,

Co Kilkenny.

A chara, – While politicians have found much time to complain about the fiscal space and organised crime, it is sad that they are in the main, once again, neglecting mental health and its funding.

It is unacceptable that those with mental health needs, and those who seek to help them, continue to be the Cinderellas of the health system.

Simultaneously, politicians advocate for ultra-expensive “game-changing” drugs for patients with chronic physical conditions. A tiny fraction of the amount for those drugs would ensure hugely better outcomes for those with mental health issues and their families, plus for society as a whole. I would respectfully like to ask all those seeking election to prioritise mental health and its treatment more highly, – Is mise,

Dr JOE MacDONAGH,

Rathgar,

Dublin 6.

Sir, – Are we in danger of throwing out the baby with the bathwater ? – Yours, etc,

PATRICK WARD,

Kilkenny.

Sir, – Can anyone tell me where the reality is? – Yours, etc,

PATRICK O’BYRNE,

Phibsborough,

Dublin 7.

Sir, – Fintan O'Toole cannot be serious ("Enda Kenny's claim of economic superpowers doesn't wash", Opinion & Analysis, February 16th).

He argues that the Coalition should claim no credit for the success of austerity measures it said were unavoidable and which it did not wish to implement. Surely its determination to persevere, in the teeth of vigorous opposition, with difficult policies to correct a disastrous deficit is exactly what the government deserves credit for.

Opponents sought political advantage by criticising the imposition of unpopular taxes and cuts. Now that those have proved successful, why wouldn’t the Government take the credit? – Yours, etc,

HUGH LAVERY,

Blackrock,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – Any young voter who makes it to the polls on Friday will do so despite the voting system in place in Ireland, not because of it.

We should not dismiss arguments for automatic voter registration as being trivial or inconsequential. Sure, if you plan to vote and are not yet registered, it’s not all that difficult to print off a form and head down to the town hall, but it’s an avoidable extra hurdle between young people and voting.

The problem is worse in the case of late registration, where more red tape and a trip to a Garda station is required. Given that anybody under 23 was ineligible to vote in the last general election, it’s unsurprising that this added complication disproportionately affects people in the 18 to 24 age bracket.

Another obstacle to voting comes with Ireland’s restrictive absentee ballot system and lack of pre-voting options. Between university club trips away, studying abroad and regular relocation motivated by job opportunities, young people often find themselves outside their constituencies come polling day. A pre-vote or postal vote should be available to everyone. – Yours, etc,

DANIEL O’BEIRNE,

Glenageary,

Co Dublin.