Sir, – It is not the case, as Noel Whelan (Opinion, October 12th) states that all three of our public service ombudsmen have been announced without preliminary consultation.
What is well worth noting is that the first public service ombudsman, Michael Mills, was selected only after the Minister for the Public Service had received the approval of Charles Haughey, the leader of the opposition. The Minister was John Boland, the only person to have held the public service portfolio, without also holding another ministry. The account is in Michael Mills's memoir, Hurler on the Ditch. And no, I do not know if this beneficent precedent was followed in the appointments of Mr Mills's successors. I should be glad if any reader could inform us on the point.
This is worth pointing out because one of the flaws in Irish governance is cronyism in the appointment to significant state offices. For instance, I fear, the positions on the new court of appeal. But the charter ombudsman is one appointment that bucked the trend and turned out so well. – Yours, etc,
(Emeritus Professor),
DAVID GWYNN MORGAN,
Law Department,
UCC, Cork.