Sir, – Miriam Lord’s disgracefully inaccurate and misrepresentative description of Joan Collins’s “Thank you” meal for her supporters in the Dáil restaurant (Miriam Lord’s Week, November 26th) strikes another low for journalistic standards in an already bad week for that profession.
Rather than the lavish multi-choice menu invented by Lord, the actual set-menu meal was incredibly modest, offering chicken, potatoes and vegetables as main course, a simple desert, tea/coffee and a few glasses of house wine. A simple stir-fry was offered for vegetarians.
While it was delicious and greatly appreciated by all present, the key aspect of the evening was for an elected working-class woman to say “thank you” to her supporters and for us to offer our continued support in her struggle for social justice for all citizens and the creation of a fairer society.
Lord’s questioning of the use of Dáil allowances for such occasions should be aimed at some of the more extravagant spenders in the Dáil, to which her reported menu may have applied, and she should apologise to Joan Collins for this gross misrepresentation. – Yours , etc,