Madam, - John Devlin's recount of the State's "green card" system (January 3rd) is very familiar to those of us with "non-national" spouses. When my wife recently queued at Anglesea Street Garda station in Cork, she was sent away, with no lack of rudeness, because her AIB bank statement was 10 days old. A garda said it was no good because she "could have spent it all by now".
She was also informed, wrongly, that spouses of Irish citizens were not exempt from the annual €100 registration fee. We had to provide a letter from the Department of Justice informing the Garda otherwise before my wife was allowed to obtain the "green card". In total, the process took one month and three visits to the Garda station. Surely the Celtic Tiger can operate more efficiently than this?. - Yours, etc,
MARK SUGRUE, Caherdavin, Limerick.