Sir, - Minister of State Jim Higgins was quick off the mark with his letter, printed in last Monday's Irish Times. He attempted in this to answer the criticism of the Government's failure to fulfil its promise to relax the absolute rule on Cabinet confidentiality, which was set out in your paper the previous Saturday.
All the Minister of State's feeble attempts at self justification cannot obscure the fact that the Government parties promised to operate as if behind "a pane of glass", yet in their actions are clearly reneging on their commitments.
This Government declared that it would "reform the institutions of the State" to make government more "open, transparent and accountable". The Taoiseach, the Tanaiste and Minister De Rossa have, however, thrown aside many of the major promises which they made in this regard. I, for one, will remember this cavalier attitude to supposedly solemn promises. - Yours, etc.,
Seafield Road,
Killiney,
Co Dublin.