Sir, - Princess Diana was in the process of finding her place in the world - and that place was looking more and more towards a powerful position on health and human rights issues.
People speak of her concerns, from HIV to landmines, but they also included survivors of torture - people who our own government doesn't believe exist here in Ireland, and for whom no provision is made. Indeed, successive governments' responses to what has built up to become a major - and so far invisible - public health concern have been shameful to say the 1east .
As a nation, we can't even ratify a convention that makes torture a crime, yet Diana visited and spoke with both survivors and health personnel working in this largely ignored area.
The loss of Diana is a loss to the world. To my knowledge, she had no official dealings with Irish organisations, but her future was shaping up to positively affect us all as an independent voice. It is bad enough that her private life was treated with such contemptuous amusement by so many, but our futures have all been diminished by this tragedy - though doubtless there will be many who will not want to recognise this.
May she rest in peace. - Yours, etc., DECLAN HUGHES,
Director, Refugeee Trust, Capel Street, Dublin 1.