Sir, – Could I suggest that, for his next birthday, someone should give Minister for Justice Alan Shatter a box set of Yes Minister DVDs?
There he will find several examples of how to act quickly to prevent an incident turning into a full-blown crisis.
A worried minister for administrative affairs pleads with Sir Humphrey to find him a way out of the latest leak/scandal/crisis.
“Not to worry, Minister,” replies Sir Humphrey. “We will set up a top-level inquiry, hear expert evidence from everybody involved, and issue a definitive report in six months, which will conclude that the leak/scandal/crisis never happened, and will make a detailed set of recommendations, which, if implemented, will ensure that the crisis, which never happened, will never happen again!”
Where are all our experienced Sir Humphreys when our country needs them? I expect they have taken the package, and will not, and cannot, be replaced. – Yours, etc,
JOHN BYRNE,
Broadway, Co Wexford.