Opposition parties need to learn to be constructive, not relentlessly negative

SIR,

If the old adage ‘Practice Makes Perfect’, is true then this country’s current opposition parties seem to have perfected the art of complaining.

Is there nothing they won’t moan and complain about? Does absolutely nothing suit them? Have they nothing more positive to say for all their yapping aloud in the Dail?

Before the current coalition finally took hold of the government reins, the Sinn Féin leader promised that her party would be the most vocal of opposition parties – and this was before anyone had seen or heard specific points of government from the new leaders.

Their guaranteed shouting and barking continues to this day, with no regard to the substantive merits of any political proposal put forward. It’s all very boring and immature.

Case in point: recently announced pay raises for certain junior ministers will not break the Central Bank, scupper any forward movement to an October budget or lift a person or struggling charity out of dire circumstances should the money have been redirected to them.

Yet opposition complaints went ringing across the land.

Here’s a solution: The offended TDs could band together and donate a large portion of their own salaries to their favourite disenfranchised. They have made it abundantly clear that they think TDs are already paid too much money anyway.

Rest assured that this will never happen as it would affect them directly and personally. Lord knows, they would never dare put their money where their mouth is.

Government is working very hard to bring the Irish children and teenagers back to school next month to receive the education they so rightfully deserve.

Any sounds of approval or cooperation from the Opposition?

No. Just a heap of complaints piled on top of another heap of complaints. All based on the position that they were not invited into government.

I for one am glad they are not in government. They don’t deserve to be, in my opinion.

I think they should take all their endless moaning and complaining and put them ‘where the sun don’t shine’ (another useful old adage!)

Sincerely,

Tom Cahill, Ballinskelligs.

Photo by David Conachy Mary Lou McDonald TD.