PETER SCOTT,
Sir, - Speaking on RTÉ radio recently, and subsequently quoted in the press, Dr Patricia Casey, professor of psychiatry at UCD and consultant psychiatrist at Dublin's Mater Hospital, observed that there is much more alcohol consumed in Ireland today than ever before. She rated this as one of the principal factors in the increasing levels of crime.
Your issue of January 3rd carried an interesting article, based on recently-released official files, which revealed the details of efforts made from 1936 onwards to have women admitted to the Garda Síochána. The item was illustrated by a fine photograph of some of the first ban-gardaí dating from 1959, the year the first women were appointed.
Scrutiny of the picture reveals that nine of the 13 ladies in the group wore the emblem of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association.
One wonders how many teetotallers might be found among a similar group of young female officers today. I hasten to add that I have no knowledge whatever about alcohol use or misuse among present-day gardaí (male or female). But it is amazing how such a simple illustration demonstrates so incisively where our society has gone in the past 40-odd years.
Several years ago a speaker on a radio programme said the first Garda Commissioner, Monaghan-born General Eoin O'Duffy, was anxious to ensure that all gardaí be teetotallers, even though he himself was an alcoholic. To those who might rush to brand the commissioner a hypocrite, I would suggest a more charitable, and probably more accurate, assessment.
As a man of integrity, he no doubt appreciated the difficulties his own situation posed and the failure of his efforts at reform. Yet he showed his wisdom in being clearly acutely aware of the disastrous effects on the morale of the new police force, and the public's perception of it, to which a reputation for alcohol abuse on the part of the members might give rise. - Yours, etc.,
PETER SCOTT,
Fairview Heights,
Dromore,
Co Tyrone.