Doing justice to his credibility?
Sir — Alan Shatter, the former minister, really castigates Taoiseach Kenny (Sunday Independent, April 16). Is this the same Mr Shatter who, on the day he resigned, said Enda was a most remarkable Taoiseach? How times have changed.
I think Mr Shatter was a good minister, he took on vested interests in the judiciary and legal world, and was an exceptionally hard-working public representative who attempted to reform the judiciary and legal system here.
He took a lot of abuse in the media — one prominent columnist described him as a boot boy. But this was nothing compared to how he was treated on social media. His religion was called into question many times.
He also placed great confidence in what gardai told him and in that regard he might have been a little more questioning, as subsequent events have proven. However, he seemed to be constantly in the news in a negative way and, politics being politics, no party can afford that on a weekly basis. This did not endear him to a Taoiseach, who can hire and fire without giving a reason.
The reason he finally resigned from office was on the basis of the Guerin report, which the courts have since found was unfair to him.
Mr Shatter has the right to feel aggrieved over this, but no deputy has the right to ministerial office — many never see it at all, however qualified.
But attacking the Taoiseach at this juncture and in such a venomous way does not do justice to Mr Shatter’s own credibility and legacy. Being able is one thing, but making so many enemies and attracting negative publicity almost on a daily basis hardly makes a good politician who has to govern by the consent and goodwill of voters. Brendan Cafferty, Ballina, Co Mayo