Letter in today’s Irish Times.
The letter supports the core principle of Public Inquiry – that Ireland is an intrinsically corrupt state.
That all politicians and political parties, once they have their snouts in the trough, have no problem in abandoning their principles.
Sir,
Prof Ray Kinsella has suggested that at least one seat in the Seanad should be reserved for the Diaspora (October 24th).
Frankly, such a seat would have all the attraction of a berth on the Titanic as it approaches the iceberg.
One of the unremarked benefits of emigration is that the emigrant can leave behind the endemic sleaze, nepotism and corruption of Irish political life.
The fiction that the creators of the Republic sought power for the people of Ireland has been totally exposed as successive “governments” of the same political clique overturn their “principles” as soon as they get their snouts in the trough.
The reality is that in a country much smaller in population than London there are far too many TDs, far too many “political advisers”, far too large political salaries and far too large allowances.
Moreover, there is clearly no intention of changing matters except around the fringes.
When Enda Kenny and his cronies go crawling to Angela Merkel, does it ever occur to them how they must appear when they are paying themselves pretty much the same as their German equivalents who have a 10 times larger population?
I suggest the time to offer emigrants a say in Irish political life is when political degeneracy here has been eliminated.
In the meantime, they would be better served by involving themselves in the political life of the countries to which they have emigrated rather than trying to prop up the edifice of the country that has failed them.
Yours etc,
Kevin O’Sullivan
Co Donegal