Sir, - In his Dail speech on the appointment of Mr O'Flaherty as a vice-president of the European Investment Bank, the Minister for Finance acknowledges that the vast majority of the functions of the management committee are either financial, commercial or economic. The Minister argues that Mr O'Flaherty's legal experience qualifies him to fulfil these functions because of "how complex the legal arrangements affecting the conduct of business in the financial arena have become". If this is the case, can we look forward to bankers being appointed as judges to hear cases involving complex financial arrangements, or doctors being appointed as judges to hear cases involving complex medical issues? - Yours, etc.,
J. Hannafin, Palmerstown, Dublin 20.