Sir, – Chris Huhne, former British minister, and his ex-wife Vicky Pryce received eight-month jail sentences in London (World News, March 12th) for the offence of perverting the course of justice in a case that involved the wife accepting penalty points on her driving licence when these penalty points should have been applied to the husband's licence.
In Ireland, far more serious issues have arisen with regard to inappropriate interference with the driving licences penalty points system. Whistleblowers within the Garda Síochána had reported these abuses to their superiors and when no appropriate actions were taken, they felt obliged to reveal to Dáil TDs including Clare Daly, that in tens of thousands of cases, driving penalty points were inappropriately removed from the Garda Pulse System by members of An Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána has been directed to investigate itself with regard to these allegations of perversion of the course of justice by gardaí. This scandal is arguably one of the most serious cases of abuse within the Garda Síochána since the foundation of the State, and the scale of the problem is far greater than the Donegal Garda scandal investigated by the Morris tribunal.
Since members of the Irish judiciary have also been implicated in these issues, it will be necessary to initiate an externally based judicial inquiry into this matter and in the meantime, some senior members of the Garda should be considering their positions. – Yours, etc,
Dr EDWARD HORGAN,
Newtown, Castletroy,
Limerick.
Sir, – Would Chris Huhne and his wife (World News, March 12th) not have been better off declaring that they were on Dáil business when caught speeding? – Yours, etc,
BRIAN CULLEN
Pine Valley Avenue,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.