Madam, - I believe it was wrong of you to give space on the Letters page to the awful letter from Minister for Children Brendan Smith (February 18th). I suspect it was written by some party PR guru as part of the ongoing campaign to besmirch the Mahon tribunal, and Minister Smith was ordered to sign it.
I would have thought that as a commercial operation, you would insist on payment for advertisements. So may I suggest that you demand that Mr Ahern's motley group of Ministers, TDs, senators and other supporters sign their names to a full-page advertisement laying out their undying love and loyalty to Bertie (until he is no longer in a position to promote their wretched careers).
This would leave more room for letters from people who have decent and honestly held views that can be considered by readers without a nauseous feeling in the stomach. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL HEARY, Nutley Avenue, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.