Political priorities

Madam, - It has been announced over the past few days, amid much craw-thumping, that the tax relief on stallions' fees may be…

Madam, - It has been announced over the past few days, amid much craw-thumping, that the tax relief on stallions' fees may be coming to an end after 40 years. Lo and behold, this may even affect non-resident (offshore?) stallions! This will obviously be worrying news for the multi-millionaire "people who matter".

Back in the real world, the irony of the whole situation came crashing home today when I contacted the Revenue about a tax credit that I understood was available for over-65s living alone to have a house alarm installed. (My mother who lives alone in a rural area plans to install an alarm after the recent death of my father.) However, I was informed that there was "bad news", and that this particular tax credit had been long since scrapped, and in fact had existed only for a two-year period from 1996 to 1998 (before being quietly withdrawn).

This probably demonstrates all we need to know about this great little nation of ours: the tax-free stallions of those who populate the Fianna Fáil tent during Galway Race Week are "looked after" for 40 years, but vulnerable, elderly people living alone in rural areas can fend for themselves. Sure what have they ever contributed to a political party around election time? - Yours, etc.,

THOMAS QUIGLEY, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18.