Letter to the Taoiseach

 

How did Christmas and the New Year go? Any Resolutions?

What about 3 February? Have you bought your ticket yet for the opening fixture in Division 1A of the National Football League, to be played under floodlights, too? They’d want to be working if last year’s ‘Battle of Omagh’ is not to be repeated. Can you rein your men in? I’ll have a word in a few Tyrone ears if you cover your end. Do you think if you and I stood together on Hill 16, it might set a good example? Sportsmanship and all that. Leadership, even.

Just to pin down arrangements, because it is an evening throw-in, perhaps we could meet up in Fagan’s or Quinn’s at about five o’clock.

Mentioning Hill 16, have you any thoughts on how 2007 should be marked as we count down to the big centenary. Remember, last year, you said that there is hardly enough time left to do the 1916 anniversary justice, so important that it is.

Moving on to the politics of the day, what precisely did Gerry Adams mean when he expressed his ‘disappointment’ at your ‘limited role’ in terms of recent significant developments? Did he tell you, himself, what he meant?

Are you not bothered that Albert Reynolds gets all the plaudits when it comes to Fianna Fáil’s contribution and all they can do in the media is to hound you about Manchester, the M50, the Port Tunnel and more besides?

How do you think the March and May elections might turn out? Are youse contesting nationally this time around or are youse only fielding in the 26?

Back to the future and how to organise for 2016. I have a good idea and it might even help to position your party with the electorate. Of course, I know that is not your primary motivation for all of this but it might be somewhere there in the mix.

I have asked you previously to commission a Green Paper on Irish unity. I have been thinking more about this since. I probably did not elaborate with any great detail so I think that I should develop the idea a little bit further. Such a Green Paper needs to be completed within one year. This year. It should identify steps and measures which will assist a successful transition to a united Ireland. Everyone in the country should be given an opportunity to put forward their views.

The Green Paper should be referred to a specially dedicated Joint Committee of the Oireachtas on Irish unity to monitor, assess and report progress on implementation.

I think that you need to appoint a Minister of State without delay. I see that you have already appointed Sean Haughey as Minister of State to replace Síle De Velara in the area of Education to support Mary Hanafin. So, Sean is not an option. You could try Labhrás Ó Murchú from the ranks of the Seanad. I could perhaps arrange a temporary transfer from one of our group of five if you feel that they would have the necessary dynamic to push this forward.

When we meet up in Fagan’s or Quinn’s, we can conclude on the detail of this. Remind me to bring up Northern representation in the Oireachtas, voting rights in Presidential Elections and a few other live ideas to fill the space between now and 2016.

By the way, I’m more a tea man than Whiskey or Beer. Sustain.

Is mise le meas

Barry McElduff

 

 

NB - Bertie Ahern can be contacted on (00353) 1 6194020 or email [email protected].  Address: Office of the Taoiseach, Government Buildings, Dublin 2