Sir, - Senator Labhras O Murchu is quite right to point out (March 24th) that his report on traditional music was approved by a committee. Disgracefully, it was. But he was their only guide, as he says himself, in unfamiliar territory. Now, by way of making amends for what they clearly regard as a mistake they have taken the generous - and unprecedented - step of advertising for additional submissions. That amounts to "no confidence" in Senator O Murchu's report. Such an opportunity arises because he and they were called to heel by reasonable public criticism, such as that represented by Mic Moroney's article.
There are 160 cultural, professional and commercial bodies working in traditional music, but not one was informed at any point of the existence of the report (in flat contradiction of Ms de Valera's policy of inclusiveness in the arts, announced a year ago). The only group invited in to make submissions was that which employs the Senator (CCE). He himself was on its delegation of three; half the words of this report are a straight borrowing from the current CCE PR brochure; and one third of its content is about CCE and its work. How could that be representative? Could any conclusions based on it be other than grossly flawed? When will he acknowledge that the whistle has been blown? - Yours, etc., Fintan Vallely,
Rathmines, Dublin 6.