When Michael O'Leary spoke at a Fine Gael rally, he derided teachers, saying there were too many in the Dail. The assembled Blueshirts burst into loud laughter and cheering. It was a revealing moment that gave a glance at the snobbery that lies at the heart of Fine Gael.
The reality, of course, is that there are too many landlords in the Dail. That is why rents have shot up and why young people are fleeing this country in droves to escape from a rent hell.
There are 48 landlords in the Dail, but Fine Gael does not speak against this overrepresentation. Not a word about how they should, at the very least, declare an interest when they vote down demands for rent control.
The Fine Gaelers just love O'Leary. They admire his anti-union, gung-ho approach to capitalism. Some even wish that he could be like Elon Musk to Donald Trump.
But Ireland is not like Ryanair. It is not all about making more profits for multi-millionaires.
If the likes of O Leary paid more tax, we could employ more special needs assistants, more teachers, and more workers to give us high-quality public services.
You will never get that with Fine Gael of Fianna Fáil. They have their class interests to defend.
Fine Gael's Contempt
