Sir, - Because of foot-and-mouth disease, every city and town in Ireland has to postpone the St Patrick's day parades and it may be April or even the month of May before we will see these events take place. But this does not matter to the Government ministers, TDs, mayors or local councillors who are abroad every year being wined and dined by the Americans.
This year, when the parades are staged later on, it is my hope and prayer that these absent politicians will not be invited to review the reconvened parades as they do not deserve this honour when they have insulted the people by being absent for years on Paddy's Day when they should have been here. They prefer foreigners to their own people.
I am sure that on Bastille Day in France or in other countries on the national holiday, the politicians are with their people or they will not be in power for long. We Irish must be stupid and soft in the head to let our national and local leaders do a runner every March 17th. It undermines national and local morale. - Yours, etc.,
Martin Ford, St Annes Terrace, Sligo.