Madam, - I believe the interventions of Noel Ahern to be outrageous episodes in the entire debacle of Bertie Ahern's interactions with the Mahon tribunal. The conflicts of interest that arise from a sibling of the Taoiseach who is also a Minister of State criticising the tribunal and those that would demand an explanation from the Taoiseach and ignoring these conflicts as if they are of no consequence is yet one more indication of how low standards have dropped in Fianna Fáil and in this Government.
The need for the Taoiseach to resign becomes more urgent by the day. However, if he goes, then so too should those who have defended this gross abuse of public trust. Noel Ahern for one should therefore follow directly in Bertie's footsteps - and perhaps a few others as well, most especially those who continue to remain silent, with their heads in the sand as if none of this matters.
Well for the record and as a citizen of this country who is appalled at the damage being done to the history and legacy of the office of Taoiseach, can I as one person make clear that this matters; it matters greatly.
- Yours, etc,
T GERARD BENNETT, Templeroan Park, Knocklyon, Dublin 16.
Madam, - The Coalition partners finally get up the nerve to, kinda, ask Bertie, in a nice way, to do another Bryan Dobson for us and, of course, for the good of the country.
He responds by telling them to get lost. The first rule of bridge is "Never make a bid without knowing that you have a rebid". For the majority who do do play bridge, that means never start something that you can't finish.
So what's the rebid going to be from Ms Harney and Mr Gormley?
- Yours, etc,
JIM FINAN, Curragh, Castlebar.
Madam, - In the general election last year, "The Rumble in Ranelagh" between John Gormley and Michael McDowell manifested, to a degree, the tense competitiveness between the Government and the Opposition.
It is now ironic that Mr Gormley has, like Mr McDowell previously, called for a "clarifying statement" from the Taoiseach regarding his finances, instead of taking stronger action.
Imitation must still be the sincerest form of flattery.
- Yours, etc,
JOHN KENNEDY, Knocknashee, Goatstown, Dublin.