Sir, – Peter Mathews was no ordinary man.
Loquacious, with a considerable intellect, he believed that the appalling decision to bail out the bondholders was morally wrong and would stifle any economic growth for decades to come, a forecast which proved correct.
His election in 2011 for Fine Gael was a poisoned chalice. Not only were his considerable talents ignored but he was treated rather badly by the party; in 2012 for instance, he tabled a motion that the governor of the Central Bank be called before the Oireachtas finance Committee without delay, a motion which his Fine Gael colleagues coerced him to vote against at that time.
Fine Gael expelled Peter Mathews from the parliamentary party in 2013 for defying the party whip and voting against the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill; this despite his strongly held understanding that on ethical and moral issues, he had been assured that he would be entitled to vote with his own conscience and against the party. Doubtless he suffered a lot of stress at this time.
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He resigned from the Fine Gael party and served out his term as an Independent TD.
Peter Mathews was a man of honour who served the country well both as an articulate economic consultant prior to his election, and as a politician who had the courage of his convictions. – Yours, etc,
CAITRIONA LAWLOR,
Mount Merrion,
Co Dublin.