Preparing for the general election

Madam, – Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams lists some things his party would do in government (Home News, January 31st)

Madam, – Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams lists some things his party would do in government (Home News, January 31st). In the event of its participation in government, would Sinn Féin accept article 15.6 of the Constitution of Ireland which states, “the right to raise and maintain military or armed forces is vested exclusively in the Oireachtas” and “no military or armed force, other than a military or armed force raised and maintained by the Oireachtas, shall be raised or maintained for any purpose whatsoever.”

Sinn Féin accepts the basic documents governing participation in government in Northern Ireland viz. the Belfast and St Andrew’s agreements. Is it too much to ask that it accepts the relevant basic document in this jurisdiction? – Yours, etc,

SEAN DONLON,

Killaloe, Co Clare.

Madam, – Although it is hard to agree totally with John Waters when he seems to suggest that there’s a little bit of Fianna Fáil in all of us here in Ireland, his piece (Opinion, Janurary 28th) does provide food for thought.

In the run-up to the election we’d do well to consider that the words written by Conor Cruise O’Brien in the Observer in 1982, in relation to an iconic Fianna Fáil character, might just as easily apply to the party of which that gentleman was once the leader: “If I saw Mr Haughey buried at midnight at a crossroads, with a stake driven through his heart – politically speaking – I should continue to wear a clove of garlic round my neck, just in case”. – Yours, etc,

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SEAMUS MCKENNA,

Farrenboley Park,

Windy Arbour, Dublin 14.

Madam, – Micheál Martin was at pains today to ensure everyone understood it was in the best interests of the Fianna Fáil party that he had asked Noel O’Flynn not to contest the next election in Cork North Central (Breaking News, January 30th).

Is there any chance he might also consider the best interests of the country and ask, say, 150 more of his candidates to do the same? – Yours, etc,

JOHN HURLEY,

Beaufield Park,

Stillorgan,

Co Dublin.

Madam, – If the Green Party was part of government and is not allowed to join the leaders’ TV debate; and Sinn Féin is more popular than Fianna Fáil and is not allowed to debate, then I wonder why Micheál Martin thinks Fianna Fáil should be allowed to debate? New Fianna Fáil leader, same Fianna Fail conceit. – Yours, etc,

TOM NEVILLE,

The Gallops,

Leopardstown,

Dublin 18.

Madam, – Letter writers have put forward some good questions to ask of any canvassers on the doorstep. I would like to add another. The Yes vote in the now forgotten Lisbon II campaign was strongly supported by the Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Labour and Green parties with the slogan “Say Yes for jobs”.

I would suggest voters ask canvassers from these parties: why did you not tell us that all the jobs were located abroad? – Is mise, –

EF FANNING,

Whitehall Road,

Churchtown,

Dublin 14.