Sir, - Vincent Browne (Opinion, August 25th) is quite correct to describe Mary Harney's performance - "If I have to choose between politics and my friends I'll choose my friends" - as blather. It was as fine a piece of radio ham as I've heard since the Donnelly's sausage programme was cancelled.
It was also a complete red herring. Look at the facts. Nobody cares who Mary Harney's friends are. Nobody cares who she goes on holiday with or where she goes on holiday. What the public is - legitimately - interested in are any freebies she avails of. That is the nub of the matter.
In the light of the two tribunals the public has a very clear understanding now, if it never had before, that there are few free lunches in this life. Ms Harney's own Government, presumably including herself, recognised this in agreeing the guidelines for Ministers, and in establishing in the guidelines the Caesar's wife principle that Ministers must be seen to be above suspicion.
The Taoiseach's response to Ms Harney's and Mr McCreevy's subsidised holidays - and indeed his earlier failure to record full details of Mr Paddy Duffy's interests - suggest a relaxed attitude to the application of ethics in office on his part. Ms Harney appears to believe that she can regulate her own behaviour without regard to the standards necessary for other public office-holders.
At least Fianna Fail is consistent, never having displayed any enthusiasm for the ethics legislation. I hadn't realised the PD position on ethics was that they should apply only to habitual sinners. - Yours, etc.,
John White, Lakelands Close, Stillorgan, Co Dublin.