A chara, - A group of eight recently elected TDs have an unprecedented opportunity to end Ireland's involvement in the current slaughter in Iraq.
Thanks to the results of election 2007, the Green Party, with its six seats, and Independents Tony Gregory and Finian McGrath, all stated opponents of the use of Shannon airport as a stopover for US soldiers, hold the balance of power. With this power, they could force the new government to end the use of Shannon airport as a stopover facility for the US military.
Without the support of Gregory, McGrath and the Green TDs, neither power bloc would be able to form anything resembling a stable government.
Fianna Fáil would be reliant on the two PD and three Independent TDs to supply it a bare working majority of 83 seats. Its only remaining option would be to seek the support of Sinn Féin, another party which, publicly at least, opposes the use of Shannon as a stopover.
Since the US government's illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003, hundreds of thousands of US soldiers have stopped over in Shannon to refuel and refresh before flying on to Iraq.
During this period, statistics prove that anywhere between 100,000 and 650,000 Iraqis have died as a result of that occupation.
Ireland has a moral duty to refuse assistance to the forces involved in this carnage.
These handful of elected representatives have been provided a unique opportunity for Ireland to wash its hands of any involvement in the continued slaughter in, and occupation of, Iraq.
Let's hope they stay true to their word. - Is mise,
CHRIS Ó RÁLAIGH, Droim Conrach, Baile Átha Cliath 9.
Madam, - The current negotiations for government between the Green Party and Fianna Fáil are crucial for determining the kind of future that our children and grandchildren will have.
The policies implemented by the government of the next five years will determine whether they have a peaceful, prosperous and healthy future or one marked by climate disaster, economic meltdown and potential loss of life.
That choice is dependent on whether Fianna Fáil are able to realise that they are the ones who must compromise their policies and understand that the Green Party policies are the only set of policies currently available that can guarantee a long-term future for the public at large and for the business community.
Should Fianna Fáil either get major concessions from the Green Party or should the talks fail, then we are surely set to follow the trend of the last 10 years, with continual and widespread heritage destruction, many more completely unsustainable roads projects, greater increases in our C02 emissions and thus a greater impact on global warming, a greatly expanding volume of waste, greater habitat destruction and continued dependence on foreign fossil fuel energy sources.
The business community has no excuses any more as there is no doubt that only truly sustainable policies on energy generation, waste prevention, transport and agriculture can secure the long-term future of all businesses and thus the economy.
These policies must be radical and since I have never seen either FF, FG or the PDs showing the kind of moral or intellectual courage necessary to confront big business on these stark choices, I believe that as long as the Green Party do not compromise those policies then they are the only choice for government that can ensure a long-term and truly sustainable future for this country.
So let's pray for a very unlikely, but magical epiphany for FF in their attempts to form a government. - Yours, etc,
TADHG CROWLEY, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14.
Madam, - I put a small sum of money on an FF/Green/PD coalition prior to the election. And now that the dust has settled, it seems quite possible that this coalition will be the permutation which comes into being. While being happy to make a few quid out of the bet, I am not at all enamoured at the prospect of Fianna Fáil adopting the proposed Green Party policy of a carbon tax.
The justification for a carbon tax is based on the notion that man-made CO2 emissions are the primary cause of climate change. Well I for one do not agree and implore others to join with me to shout stop to this nonsense. In the past 120 years, atmospheric CO2 levels increased from approx 280ppm to 380ppm - representing a fractional increase of a mere 1 in 10,000. Global warming is no doubt happening, but I believe it to be a cyclical event and more likely caused by the increased irradiance of the sun. For example, in 1976 Newsweek was warning of an imminent Ice Age and that global cooling would cause chaos, famine and world wars unless strong action was taken.
Ironically for the Green Party in 2007, and others worldwide with an agenda to run, an increased level of CO2 will result in the "greening" of the planet due to the increased availability of CO2 for plants to make food. I call on Brian Cowen to oppose any proposal for a carbon tax and hold firm against the cosy consensus around CO2 gas being the cause of global warming. - Yours, etc,
ULTAN MURPHY, Hon Secretary/PRO Imokilly Fianna Fáil, Castlemartyr, Co Cork.
Madam, - Are we now about to pay the price of allowing a dominant-party system of democracy to develop? We the people have again utterly rejected the laissez-faire ideology of the PDs, yet Fianna Fáil are hell bent on having them share in government once again. Does this mean that the government's legitimisation is not derived from an election and does Fianna Fáil not now recognise restrictions to its power in the form of the popular will? In short, are we moving towards a totalitarian form of democracy, where people can vote but have no actual influence or part in decision-making? We are surely entering uncharted waters and we need to pay close attention to what is being attempted here and why. - Yours, etc,
JIM O'SULLIVAN, Rathedmond, Sligo.
Madam, - In considering the dilemmas facing John Gormley and his colleagues, I am reminded of both Oscar Wilde and Spike Milligan.
Oscar - who could resist anything except temptation and Spike, who, whilst suspecting that wealth and power did not bring happiness, wanted the opportunity once to prove it wrong.
Are we witnessing the emergence of Ireland's newest party - Grianna Fáil? - Yours, etc,
JAMES O'CONNOR, Sandycove, Co Dublin.