I have received dozens of e-mails in response to my letter regarding the expenditure on roads in Fermanagh. I have also received dozens of phone calls and e-mails in response to the ridiculous letter printed in response to that letter. I never said I could fix the road situation here but I wanted to inform people the facts about expenditure on roads. The figures I mentioned were in k£ and I have since realised this was not made clear however the proportion of the roads budget spent in Fermanagh remains the same and it is still at the bottom of the list. My background is totally irrelevant and has no bearing on those facts.

It is quite obvious the writer (hiding behind a pseudonym) believes themselves to be a republican and probably is a member of Sinn Féin trying to discredit Gerry McHugh because he dared to disagree with them.

Here are a few republican facts: James Connolly one of the signatories of the proclamation was a member of the British army for seven years as was his brother. Both served in Ireland as British soldiers. Like thousands of sons of poor Irish working people the British army was a means of escaping poverty and helping to feed younger siblings left at home. There are many members of Sinn Féin and the IRA who served in the British army for all manner of reasons it doesn't make them any less republican.

My own father joined the army because he had to do national service he certainly never attained the rank of general. Sinn Féin members like to keep that rumour going to try to discredit Gerry McHugh because I work for him. Martin McGuinness must be aware that an entire brigade of British soldiers are destined to be stationed here on a permanent basis in addition to those already here, I don't hear Sinn Féin objecting to that.

As for me fixing the roads here I wasn't living here at the time. Is the writer trying to suggest that only those who were hands on during the conflict can be republican? Are they saying to our young people and migrant workers that there is no room for them within the republican movement? Are they saying that four of our elected Sinn Féin councillors are not republican because they spent time living elsewhere during the conflict?

In conclusion I would like to say the roads of Fermanagh are a disgrace and making personal attacks on me won't change that. People power will; the people brought Maggie Thatcher down in England protesting against the poll tax. The people of Fermanagh need to fight for more money to be invested in their roads and Sinn Féin should be right behind them lobbying the minister really hard. When Gerry McHugh dared raise the issue of the traffic in Enniskillen in the assembly he was told by the Department of Regional Development Minister that there was no problem driving through Enniskillen. It is that sort of attitude I was trying to highlight and it's one that needs changing.

Angela Foran