McDaid the hypocrite

So Fianna Fáil TD for Donegal North-East and former government minister Jim McDaid wants a three-year pay freeze for workers, supposedly to 'protect our jobs'? Why is it always workers who must 'tighten our belts'? Why not the fat cats of business who are making record profits? What about TDs? Shouldn't they not 'tighten their belts' as well?

Maybe the reason why McDaid won't do this is because, like a lot of TDs from his governing Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats and opposition Fine Gael parties, he probably has shares in or owns businesses. After all, many TDs, including our Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, are known to have interests in, or own, pubs directly, to give one example. Why is it that it's always the workers who are to blame when economic conditions deteriorate, or a business or factory closes?

We just have to accept that there's no way we can compete with developing countries such as China or India. Even if we cut our wages by half and froze our wages for three years, they have such a competitive advantage that it's an insurmountable barrier for us to match.

Instead we should follow the example of advanced countries such as Denmark and Sweden, who have first-class education systems to support first-class knowledge economies. Finally, Mr McDaid you should address problems closer to home instead of issuing prescriptions that penalise hard-working people.

I see he has finally very belatedly accept that he was a 'disgrace' and 'an idiot' when he was convicted of dangerous driving while over the alcohol limit in 2005. Why doesn't he do the decent and honourable thing that he would do if it were any country bar Ireland, and resign his Dáil seat immediately and not stand again? In fact he should have resigned his Dáil seat immediately on been convicted of dangerous driving while over the alcohol limit in 2005.

Hopefully if the people of Donegal North-East have any sense they will do us justice and unseat McDaid in the upcoming general election. It would be nice to see some justice being done for a change.

Paul Kinsella, Santry