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• One of the most alarming but recurring complaints I have heard recently is that: "This shower is even worse than Fianna Fail".
Can we back up the truck and think? Three-time Taoiseach Bertie Ahern drove the economy to the edge of the cliff. The two Brians came along and turned a potential disaster into total catastrophe with the bank guarantee and the billions they strapped to the backs of ordinary people who had nothing to do with our bonfire of the vanities.
When top Fianna Fail ministers smelled trouble on the wind, they abandoned the burning decks with their golden handshakes and platinum parachutes. Heroic.
With the troika's Trojan horse within the city walls, the new guys, namely Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore, found themselves negotiating at the wrong end of a sword.
They were given their orders and the lash of austerity was felt across backs already broken by the unjust debt burden.
Fine Gael needs to do a whole lot better in explaining how they will get a better deal from Brussels in the New Year.
It will also need to bring those responsible for the bank bust to the courts, and the need to reconnect with ordinary voters is also acute.
But for Fianna Fail to casually castigate them for not doing more to clean up the wreckage of the greatest crash in history is nothing short of shameful.
With the blue lights of the emergency vehicles from the IMF, ECB and EU still ringing in our ears, now is not the time for the Soldiers of Destiny to declare themselves born again more perfect than the misfortunates dealing with the meltdown.
Micheal Martin ought to know it is not possible to fool all of the people all of the time.
P D Fullam
Dalkey, Co Dublin
Irish Independent
