JAMES DOHERTY,
Sir, - I read with interest your report of January 24th that a donation of €1,800 has been made to the Department of Defence to pay for Ms Harney's recent plane trip to open an off-licence in Co Leitrim. As a taxpayer I am intrigued by the possibilities which this opens up. Would it suggest, for instance, that citizens or companies might now sponsor individual Ministers as they go about their duties? Perhaps individual TDs could be sponsored too? I'm sure that other taxpayers might see other possibilities in such a system - on the understanding, obviously, that no favours were either asked or granted, so to speak.
However, I have one worry. Will this donation render the Tánaiste liable for benefit-in-kind? Would that not nullify the good intentions of the donor? Are there other implications? - Yours etc.,
JAMES DOHERTY, Coolraine Estate, Ennis Road, Limerick.
... ... * ... * ... * ... ...
Sir, - The controversy over Mary Harney's trip to Manorhamilton is not about who is a nice person and who is not. Most of our politicians are nice people. It is about the far too common tendency to abuse the privileges of public office. Also, as far as I am concerned, it is about the Taoiseach and Tánaiste spending valuable time running around opening pubs and off-licences when the nation is in the throes of an alcohol addiction. The effects of alcohol abuse on the economy and services are phenomenal. Ask any garda, doctor, factory or shop manager, or try ringing a State department on a Monday morning and you will see what I mean. - Yours, etc.,
PADDY HATHAWAY, Haddington Square, Dublin 4.