Sir, - I have been a supporter of the Progressive Democrats since I first took an interest in politics. They offered things that no other party in the country offered. They were scrupulously honest, they believed in liberal fiscal policies and, most importantly, to me, they were against big government.
These ideals made the PDs both radical and unique in Irish politics. Yet look at them now. While the country becomes richer and richer, all that made them relevant has been lost in the face of expediency. They continue to prop up a party long bereft of any notions of morality. They have failed to divest the Government of all responsibilities in industry. The State still runs the health and educational systems, and as everyone can see, extremely badly!
But now they are not only guilty of giving up their idealism, but also of betraying it, by undermining the very concept of local democracy. Their Government has recently removed the responsibility for waste management from elected local representatives.
Councillors have for a long time shown their craven cowardice when facing difficult and divisive decisions. Now, when an incinerator or land fill is located in their areas, they have gained the singular luxury of being able to claim that it wasn't their fault. They are no longer politically liable for important decisions and are in effect irrelevant.
At the heart of any attempt to tackle centralised government has to be a reliance on local decision-making. Local politics must stop being no more than a nursery for national politicians. And I would suggest that if local politicians are not able for difficult tasks, it is up to their electorate to replace them, not central government.
I urge the Progressive Democrats to stop getting into silly little arguments about which party is more caring. Instead, do what every other party is scared to do, i.e. halve Dail membership and grant local politicians the power and responsibility to gather and dispose of taxes. If they don't, both the party and local government will remain irrelevant. - Yours, etc.,
Paul Bowler, Garville Avenue, Rathgar, Dublin 6.