Sir, - Prof O Grada and Dr O'Rourke open their historical and comparative review of Ireland's economic performance by telling us that "as the 21st century dawns, official Ireland is feeling smug" (The Irish Times, June 9th).
Not half as smug as academic Ireland. The practitioners of economic science have apparently discovered the secret of eternal life. They finish by saying: "We look forward to speculating about why Ireland's social partnership experiment finally collapsed.. . when we have an adequate historical perspective on the question. Say 50 years from now."
I will not be around to read their analysis in 2050. I console myself with the thought that political economy - an activity undertaken exclusively by mortals, who haven't seen it all before - which helped to make social partnership, also has a role in addressing the problems Ireland faces now. We may even deepen and extend the problem-solving deliberation and action that are the heart of social partnership. Or will Prof O Grada and Dr O'Rourke tell us, from their Olympian vantage-point above the world of action, that this is impossible? - Yours, etc.,
Rory O'Donnell, Business Research Programme, University College Dublin, Blackrock, Co Dublin.