Sir, - The 61 per cent of people who indicated in the MRBI opinion poll (The Irish Times, February 26th) that they believe most politicians participate in the type of chicanery described in the tribunals are wrong.
On the day before the publication of this poll an exemplary politician, Dr Pat Upton, was buried in Dublin. It is fair to assume that his death at the frighteningly early age of 54 had a great deal to do with his occupation as a member of the Dail.
Anybody who knew this dedicated politician and his commitment to the marginalised would have no difficulty in assessing either his work-rate or his ethics. There are other Pat Uptons in politics and, I am confident, an overwhelming majority of politicians who do not deserve the opprobrium of 61 per cent of the population.
If the MRBI poll is to be regarded as an accurate barometer of the general public view - and I contend that such a view is totally counter to the true position - there is a serious question to be answered.
Does the view of the 61 per cent reflect the fact that media focus on politicians is very often selective and unfair? The annual preoccupation with the length of holidays obscures the inadequate coverage of the substantial workload in committees and at local level during so-called holidays, the lack of understanding of what it takes to retain `the job', the pressures inherent in aspiring to a position where one's political agenda can be implemented.
These are but a few of the enormous pressures on politicians, of which there is obviously little media or public understanding. Criticism of politicians is healthy. Misrepresentation of their role, however, is hugely damaging to democracy and is reflected in the MRBI poll.
Unfortunately, politicians continue to ignore the need to project a more accurate image of their profession; and their failure in this regard contributes substantially to creating the view expressed by 61 per cent that they are a group of people with low standards in high places. - Yours, etc.,
Declan MacPartlin, Camolin, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.