Sir, - Marie Geoghegan-Quinn (Opinion, October 17th) supported the role of the "whistleblower" in modern Irish life. It was great to read that an elected politician was four-square behind the concept of giving to an employee the necessary legal support to take on abuses and outright fraud in their organisations.
This is of particular relevance to Irish banks, where employees are afraid of speaking the truth. The case of the AIB bogus non-resident accounts is but one in a long litany of abuses which has come to light recently. However, as most bank officials lack third-level qualifications or non-banking skills, their job prospects are bleak if they "blow the whistle". Indeed, Irish banks have resisted graduate recruitment for many years and hate the idea of critical minds being admitted to their cosy oligarchic club.
When I joined the Bank of Ireland in 1970, "ethical" banking was not a politically correct concept, it was considered fundamental to the relationship of banker and customer and permeated all one's dealings with the public. Since then the Irish banks have become bigger, widened their customer base, gone for fast profits and fast returns. The ethical bank official is yesterday's news.
As each successive banking scandal surfaces, the senior management maintain a haughty silence to the revelations. Like blind gargoyles of the cathedral of Mammon, they pretend to see no wrong when the rest of the nation point to their obvious defects. As far as I know there is no "internal procedure" for an official to seek to discuss banking practices which act against the interest of the majority of customers and of society.
It is best if the banks act to reform from within before an irate public gives their elected politicians the legal powers to force them to return to ethical banking practices. - Yours, etc., B. F. O'Grady,
Santana,
Sao Paulo,
Brazil.