Sir, – Thanks to Gerry Adams TD, I have just totted up the annual pensions of the nation’s top 30 ex-servants. An interesting list, including names such as Ahern (x2), Cowen, Harney, Cullen, McCreevy, O’Donoghue, O’Rourke and Burke (Home News, November 10th).
Over the coming year these 30 will pick up €3,715,221, with the most impoverished on €101,153.89. One or two may be picking up over €150,000 per annum for the next 30 or 40 years. Have Messrs Kenny and Gilmore noticed that this annual haul of loot would pay for five Villa Spadas, with an ambassador and staff thrown in? Are there any economic reasons for paying these 30 ladies and gentlemen a red cent? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Outside of the Letters and Opinion pages of The Irish Timesthere has been little comment on the closing of our embassy in the Vatican. Within your paper, one could be mistaken for interpreting the action as an act of betrayal by the Government of the overwhelming majority of Irish Catholics. The Vatican is viewed at best with well-earned indifference by many citizens.
Can we have a sense of perspective and editorial balance please? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Dr Patrick O’Brien (November 10th), who is understandably upset by the decision to shut the Vatican embassy, predicts the closure of the nunciature in Dublin and the transfer of his excellency (the papal nuncio, I presume) to a consulate in Armagh to meet the spiritual needs of the loyal Catholic population – from the safe haven of the United Kingdom.
This must be the part of the United Kingdom where I once enjoyed the visual delights of graffiti such as “Still no Pope here”. Frying pan and fire spring to mind. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I can not understand why Ireland (or any country) ever had an embassy in the Holy See.
There is minimal trade between the Holy See and other countries and though not 100 per cent certain, I don’t recall reading any reports of Irish people being incarcerated (justly or otherwise) in the Vatican. Nor have I heard of any Irish adventurers having tragic accidents while skiing or rock climbing in Sistine Chapel. And even if, through bizarre sequence of events, we did establish significant trade, we did find Irish people being thrown in jail and we did send over rock climbers who got lost in the wilds of St Peter’s Square, there is a perfectly good embassy in Rome. – Yours, etc,