Siobhán Fenton is right that Sinn Féin has “been quick to identify and prioritise other issues affecting younger people, most notably Dublin’s housing crisis ... By contrast, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil ... have been accused of ... putting landlords’ needs above those of renters” (Ireland has moved on from Sinn Féin’s past, 11 February).
Leo Varadkar has been impressive on the international stage, but lost touch with voters domestically. For example, he showed crass political ineptitude when he said in the Dáil that people finding it hard to raise a house deposit should “get money from their parents”. Rents are now often double what they were at the height of the Celtic Tiger, and the numbers of young people who can afford to leave the parental home is rapidly diminishing.
Sinn Féin must avoid any coalition that stops it from immediately tackling Ireland’s iniquitous rental market.
Joe McCarthy
Dublin
• It seems odd that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil balk at the prospect of working with Sinn Féin. North of the border Sinn Féin and the DUP have a far more bitter history. Yet the two parties have at least tried jointly to run affairs from Stormont – notwithstanding the extended closedown over cash for ash. Although Varadkar seems to have painted himself out of the picture, Micheál Martin (the Fianna Fáil leader) might seek an understanding with Mary Lou MacDonald. The alternative could be another election in which Sinn Féin would field more candidates and take an even stronger position.
Alan Wallace
Leeds
• As you rightly note (Editorial, 10 February), Sinn Féin’s vote in the Irish election reflected an anti-austerity focus on core issues like education and health. Perhaps it also helped that the party ditched a leader with a beard for a female leader. There may be a lesson for the Labour party here.
Keith Flett
Tottenham, London
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