Madam, - It is regrettable that in this very prosperous State of ours today we do not have any system whereby ordinary citizens who perform acts of bravery or other services to the public worthy of commendation may be both recognised and suitably honoured.
I have in mind some form of national honours list.
From time to time Irish citizens are honoured in the United Kingdom, and rightly so. They go to Buckingham Palace to be presented with the appropriate award by Queen Elizabeth.
I suggest that a "Presidential Medal of Honour" be introduced in Ireland and the recipients allowed to append the letters "PMH" after their names, as with the OBE and CBE. This medal should have three grades - gold, silver and bronze, similar to the Scott Medal for Bravery procedure that applies in the Garda Síochána. The grade awarded to each person would depend on what the recipient has done to merit it, e.g. risking one's own life - gold; saving another person's life by taking appropriate action - silver; an act of exceptional service to the public generally - bronze.
The decision as to which grade a person is to be awarded should be the responsibility of an independent committee, made up of suitably qualified citizens who are above reproach and have been publicly vetted. Under no circumstances should politicians have any part in deciding who is to be so honoured. I would even go so far as to suggest that any such interference be declared a criminal offence.
The President of the day would, of course, be responsible for presenting all such medals. - Yours, etc,
W.G.A. SCOTT,
Friars Hill,
Wicklow.