Madam, - If the Taoiseach had spent his time in the early 1990s hidden away in his counting house in St Luke's, counting out his money to the Mahon tribunal's standards, he might never have had the time to get out and meet the people and thereby get elected.
Instead, he spent his time meeting people on doorsteps, listening to them to see how he could help them. Then, as Taoiseach, he helped solve many problems in his constituency, and of course brought success to the entire country .
The Mahon tribunal's obsessive nit-picking of the Taoiseach's personal finances is Irish begrudgery, plain and simple. A successful and good leader should be supported and allowed to lead, unhindered.
- Yours, etc,
SHEILA PECK, Heynestown Cross, Dundalk, Co Louth.
Madam, - Advice for anyone who has difficulty understanding, following or enjoying the Mahon Tribunal: read Miriam Lord. Her articles are wise, insightful, well-informed and often hilariously funny.
Last week's pieces on the Taoiseach's evidence included some of the best political analysis to appear in your newspaper, or any Irish newspaper, in years.
Perhaps someone would pass them on to Noel Whelan.
- Yours, etc,
PHILIP MOLLOY, Spencer Villas, Glenageary, Co Dublin.
Madam, - Noel Whelan, in his inexplicable defence of the Taoiseach's finances, comments at length on the many new supports available to members of the Dáil and Seanad (Opinion & Analysis, February 23rd).
Just for the record, I would like to point out that none of these supports is available to those elected to local government - who, in many cases, are expected to carry out the same functions locally as TDs. Ironically, though, we are still obliged to comply with the same ethical requirements as members of the Oireachtas.
- Yours, etc,
Cllr DERMOT LACEY, Beech Hill Drive, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.
Madam, - I noted with amusement the headline last Saturday's Editorial: "An assault on the tribunal's integrity".
Is this not a wee bit rich, coming from the newspaper that wilfully destroyed evidence when ordered by that self-same tribunal to reveal its sources?
- Yours, etc,
SEAN BELLEW, Upper Faughart, Dundalk, Co Louth.
Madam, - Haven't we come a long way since the day we first heard about a "dig-out" and a "loan" for a man who was "on his uppers" and going through a difficult period in his life?
- Yours, etc,
BARBARA LEAHY, Clohane, Skibbereen, Co Cork.
Madam, - If all these loans, personal donations, and dig-outs are really so legitimate, then why are efforts made to repay them only after their discovery by the tribunal?
Bertie Ahern's only defence is to claim total political and financial incompetence. Either that, or he is a liar.
- Yours, etc,
IAN DOYLE, Streamville Court, Killiney, Co Dublin.