On a whinge and a prayer

Devolution before revolution

Sir — Your columnist Conor Skehan suggested recently that the solution to better regional prosperity is to transfer as much power as possible as close as possible to the place where the decisions have effect.

This is a strategy recognised all over the world. It is called devolution.

After the recent ministerial appointments, when the west of Ireland got no senior minister to fight its case at the cabinet table, this appears to be one possible solution to Connacht’s woes.

This would involve giving powers to politically accountable local bodies to plan, spend and raise taxes in their own areas. They would also be responsible for their actions to central government. After the revolution in political circles in the past few weeks, this is surely food for thought for the people of the west of Ireland? Devolution before revolution perhaps?

When the author Thomas Davis wrote The West’s Awake ,he included the following lines.

For often in O’ Connor’s van To triumph dashed each Connacht clan

And fleet as deer the Normans ran

Through Corrsliabh pass and Ardrahan

And later times saw deeds as brave

And glory guards Clanricard’s grave

Sing Oh they died their land to save

At Aughrim’s slopes and Shannon’s waves.

Perhaps now is the moment when it dawns on the powersthat-be in Ireland’s city-centric government that the 1.1 million people west of the Shannon will not stand idly by and see rural Ireland disappear into the mists of time.

Tom Towey,

Cloonacool, Co Sligo

Sir — We are in uncharted waters now. Health workers are fighting a heroic war; frontline workers in shops and bakeries putting their lives at risk to keep the country going.

My husband and I, both in our 60s, are working and every day is filled with anxiety and fear — and we can’t even have a pint to calm us down at the end of the day.

Small businesses everywhere are doing extraordinary things to keep their business afloat. Some will never open again, despite life savings going into their venture. There are tragic stories all around. But at least we have one constant, one thing we know will never change — the teachers are still whingeing.

Mary McGee,

Wicklow town