Sir, - The sentiments expressed in your Editorial of March 16th must draw wide approval. However, they may not go far enough to deal with behaviour that, like drug trafficking, threatens the whole fabric of society.
Under pressure from public opinion, governments decided to modify the law to try to deal with the enormous wealth and fearsome power built up by criminals, and there has been some success. However, information emerging from current tribunals suggest that there has also been a venality in Irish public life that it is not yet possible to measure precisely but which threatens the ordinary and fair conduct of public affairs.
Your Editorial gives a concise description of the forces and strategies the State faces in dealing with the drugs criminals. It seems there is a need for the Government to prepare now the modifications to the law that will better equip prosecuting authorities to tackle the strategies that can be adopted by those who may face indictments as a consequence of the various tribunals now operating. - Yours, etc,
Fergan O'Sullivan, Artarmon, New South Wales, Australia.