Slánaiste: Irish Times letter writers have their say on the political crisis

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan and his predecessor Frances Fitzgerald. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons
Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan and his predecessor Frances Fitzgerald. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons

Sir, – The Department of Justice is the scapegoat now. I wonder who is responsible for this department? Not the Government, surely? – Yours, etc,

ALEC QUINN,

Limerick.

Sir, – It proves the point of Nye Bevan’s aphorism, “Politics is a blood sport”. – Yours, etc,

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GEAROID KILGALLEN,

Dún Laoghaire,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – To hear the manner in which the Taoiseach berated his civil servants was astonishing.

If only he would seek the same high standard of behaviour from his fellow politicians! – Yours, etc,

GARRY BURY,

Dalkey,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day, and this year Sinn Féin has been right twice. It was right to ask Arlene Foster to stand aside over the “cash for ash” debacle and it was right also to seek Frances Fitzgerald’s resignation over the Maurice McCabe emails.

The fact that the DUP and Leo Varadkar disdain Sinn Féin seems to have blinded them to the fact that on these two matters Sinn Féin were right. I too regard Sinn Féin with disdain, but it is counterproductive to assume that they are always wrong. – Yours, etc,

FELIX M LARKIN,

Cabinteely,

Dublin 18.

Sir, – Email is a fragmented and messy form of communication. Have any of these pious commentators never themselves forgotten or mislaid an email? – Yours, etc,

JOHN FAGAN,

Killiney,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – Slánaiste. – Yours, etc,

JUDITH GOLDBERGER,

Donnybrook,

Dublin 4.

Sir, – Eamon Dunphy as usual has the solution. Jack Charlton couldn't manage; Mick McCarthy couldn't manage; Giovanni Trapattoni couldn't manage; and Martin O'Neill cannot manage. On the Tonight Show on TV3, he has now added Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to his list of people incapable of management. May I suggest to the Taoiseach as he targets reform that the answer is simple and Eamon is right – bring Wes Hoolahan into the Cabinet to provide real leadership and vision. – Yours, etc,

PAT O’CONNELL,

Adare,

Co Limerick.

Sir, – With the amount of negative results from the trawls through the Department of Justice, might it have been wiser to have trawled the Department of Fisheries? – Yours, etc,

DAMIEN CARROLL,

Kingswood,

Dublin 24.

Sir, – I recently came across the saying, “Honesty is good for the soul but not for your career”. How very timely. – Yours, etc,

RICHARD BARTON,

Maynooth,

Co Kildare.

Sir, – I say, bring on the robots! I think they’d do a great job in the national interest! – Yours, etc,

ROSI O’SULLIVAN,

Dalkey,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – We have endured one of the worst political crises seen for years. We saw leaders meeting into the night, during the weekend and early mornings. Would it not be wonderful if the same energy and commitment were given to the crises of homelessness and climate change? – Yours, etc,

KATHLEEN O’CONNOR,

Wilton,

Cork.

Sir, – Election threat thwarted. Retailers rejoice. Christmas countdown continues. – Yours, etc,

ANNA HARRISON,

Churchtown,

Dublin 14.

Sir, – Emails. And not a Russian in sight! Unbelievable! – Yours, etc,

JOHN HURLEY,

Clarina,

Limerick.