Sir, - The implicit assumption that a tribunal of inquiry into the Ben Dunne payments affair will provide answers to the question of possible improper payments to politicians and public officials is disingenuous. The main political parties have received millions of pounds in contributions from unknown persons or companies to clear their debts. Are we to believe that Ben Dunne is the only significant financial contributor to individual TDs campaign expenses?
It takes an awful lot of small cheques, table quizzes, confined draws or golf classics to clear the debts of the main parties, which had run into many millions of pounds. But these debts have been largely cleared.
Were there other large donors other than Mr Dunne? If so who were they and did they benefit in kind? Were contracts or positions on state boards influenced, or are politicians unique in being the only true beneficiaries of "the free lunch"? Are the parties ready to list those who have given them, more than £10,000 in a five year period? If not, then let's hear no more sanctimonious guff about standards.
The terms of reference preclude the party leaders being called to give evidence on the identity of the big money donors. Thus the Dunne Tribunal will investigate only the tip of the funding iceberg. - Yours, etc.,
Glasnevin Avenue,
Dublin 11.