Standards in public life

Sir, – When media outlets make a mistake, we get a small apology, usually on the inside pages. Yet when the Taoiseach lets his own high standards momentarily slip, all his previously hard work and commitment to our recovery is set at nought and the media hunt in a pack to take him down and tear him to pieces.

A pinch of perspective might be considered if we hope for decent people to enter politics in future. – Yours, etc,

BRENDAN WRIGHT,

Lucan,

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Co Dublin.

Sir, – Tom McElligott (October 2nd) opines that the Taoiseach should “stick instead to what he knows best”. Based on the available evidence, surely that is precisely what we don’t want. – Yours, etc,

DECLAN FITZPATRICK,

Dublin 8.

Sir, – On the evening of his election to the current Dáil the then Taoiseach-in-waiting stated in an interview, “The incoming government is not going to leave our people in the dark . . . Paddy likes to know what the story is”.

It would appear that the current Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht did not hear Mr Kenny’s statement or, if she did, was unaware that Mr Kenny was using “Paddy” as a figure of speech for the citizens of this republic.

In answering, “I’m not at liberty to say who mentioned his name to me and because that’s a Fine Gael matter”, in response to a question regarding who had approached her about appointing John McNulty to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (Imma), Ms Humphreys shows contempt for “Paddy”. The Minister speaks as if Fine Gael was a private club appointing one of its members to an internal committee. But Fine Gael is not a private club – it is a political party in government, and Imma is not one of its committees, it is a State-funded institution.

The party’s website states that “Fine Gael believes in being truthful and courageous in what we do . . . Fine Gael stands for integrity in public life”. Nothing in the conduct of Fine Gael in this current controversy indicates that these values are adhered to at a senior level in the party. In the absence of complete, clear and coherent answers to simple questions, I – and I suspect many others – will assume that Fine Gael has something to hide. So much for openness and transparency and a new way of conducting political debate.

On the same evening as his Paddy pronouncement, Mr Kenny described the 2011 general election results as “a democratic revolution . . . they didn’t take to the streets but they’ve wreaked vengeance on those who let them down”. Mr Kenny as the leader of Fine Gael would do well to remember his own words if he wishes to avoid another democratic revolution in 2016 – or sooner. – Yours, etc,

TERRY TREANOR,

Portmarnock,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – I would willingly serve on the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art but I’m a contemporary artist so that disqualifies me immediately. – Yours, etc,

SAMUEL WALSH,

Member of Aosdána,

Cloonlara, Co Clare.