Sir, - I recently visited a friend in Berlin, capital of the one of those allegedly high-tax, high-unemployment EU member-states at which certain Cabinet Ministers have been pointing accusing fingers.
She earns less than I or many of my friends, and seemingly pays higher taxes too. Yet, unlike us, she can afford reasonable and comfortable rented accommodation, and run a car. Going to work (Later than me, and for fewer hours), she can get an efficient train, the arrival and departure times of which actually have relevance to the published timetable. The streets she walks on are well maintained and clean. And her father had only to wait a number of weeks (yes, weeks!) for a major operation.
I work from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and spend an hour-and-a-half in traffic most days. I gave up using public transport a long time ago because I want to keep my job. My streets aren't clean, and the words "rent" and "affordable" don't sit easily together. Yet seemingly, according to some of our leaders, I'm better off than my German friend. Financially, as long as you deduct housing, pension and healthcare costs, this may be so. But I have no doubt that her quality of life is far higher than mine.
Some of our leaders say that we don't want Brussels or Berlin running us, but I've seen leaders in Brussels providing socially progressive labour and equality laws, a decent infrastructure, and a modern outlook.
In Dublin I've seen, with precious few exceptions, parochial leaders who permit rampant corruption run, let the infrastructure collapse, and let the quality of life in this country decline.
Give me Brussels rule any time, warts and all. At least they've half an idea what they're doing. - Yours, etc.,
Jason O'Mahony, Pembroke Square, Dublin 4.