Madam, - I wish to congratulate Mr Brian Cowen on his pending elevation to the office of Taoiseach. It may appear strange for a Kildare man to be congratulating an Offaly man for anything but this is an occasion for rejoicing.
Here we have a man who has shown he has a strong and forceful make-up and is well capable of making decisions and standing up like a man when the pressure comes on.
When things get tough he will not be wheeling out the grandchildren, or posing with in-family pop stars seeking sympathy and he definitely will not be one who will be running to RTÉ with an orchestrated tearful story to seek sympathy.
No, because here we have a man who has the ability, the guts and the backbone to be a real Taoiseach. It is a long, long time since we were able to call someone the real Taoiseach.
Best of luck to Mr Cowen in breaking the mould that has demeaned the office. - Yours, etc,
TONY FAGAN, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.
Madam, - I agree with John Gilmore Lush (April 12th), who says it's immaterial whether or not Bertie Ahern ever took a bribe. The Irish people, like the ancient Romans and Greeks, he says, know that bribery is endemic in politics, so why waste millions of euro and lawyers' "valuable" time on tribunals looking into such things?
Similarly, we've known for years that murderers kill, rapists rape, and thieves steal. Why waste millions of euro and lawyers' "valuable" time chasing them through the courts? - Is mise,
FRANK Ó NÉILL, Miltown Malbay, Co Clare.