Madam, - In response to Kevin Myers's tirade against Charles Haughey (An Irishman's Diary, August 7th) perhaps the reason people of the calibre of Michael O'Leary feel comfortable discussing the former Taoiseach's achievements is that they understand that Mr Haughey was a "doer".
Even in his early, small-scale initiatives such as free travel for OAPs and tax measures for artists and the bloodstock industry, he showed imagination and flair and, above all, a practical ability. We are all expecting wonderful things from the current Justice Minister, but most commentators would probably agree that legislation brought forward by Mr Haughey in the 1960s make his ideas look a little pedestrian. Mr Haughey's involvement, along with Martin Mansergh (whom he appointed), in the nascent peace process was critical to the Good Friday Agreement.
As for the IFSC, even if we accept Mr Myers's point that the IFSC was a beneficiary rather than an instigator of economic growth (a point accepted by no one to whom I have spoken), wasn't it better to have the proper infrastructure in place for our country's eventual economic growth? Proactive rather than reactive, in business language.
Mr Haughey's misdeeds are well catalogued, but it is unbalanced utterly to disregard his achievements. - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL TURLEY (Fianna Fáil Representative, Pembroke and IFSC worker), Donnybrook Castle, Dublin 4.