Sir, – I am delighted to hear that David Drumm has said he will no longer allow himself to be a scapegoat for the banking crisis (Home News, July 8th).
He will find every town and parish hall open to him to hear his side of events and explain the banking collapse to the people of Ireland on his return from America.
He could also attend the Oireachtas inquiry. We are having one, aren’t we? – Yours, etc,
JOSEPH BERGIN,
Caragh Green,
Naas,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – How astonishing to read that former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm criticises the “drip, drip, drip” release of phone recordings of conversations held by senior Anglo executives in 2008 and declares that he “will no longer allow [himself] to be made the scapegoat by politicians, politically connected former bankers and politically protected senior public servants who don’t want their role in the crisis to be highlighted”.
The drip, drip of the phone recordings of Mr Drumm’s conversations demonstrates that Ireland cannot afford any longer to be run by so many moralists who are ignorant of finance, and so many financiers who are ignorant of morals. – Yours, etc,
ROBERT F LYONS,
Kennebunkport,
Maine.
Sir, – If Mr Drumm is so concerned about his good name then he should return to face his critics instead of issuing long-distance bulletins from his safe haven in the United States. He fled the country to avoid bankruptcy and investigation: while he can hardly redeem his reputation, he could do something to contribute to a rigorous public inquiry of the banking crisis. Otherwise citizens who have suffered due to the recklessness and arrogance of a banking elite are entitled to draw their own conclusions about Mr Drumm’s self-imposed exile in the United States. – Yours, etc,
JOHN WALSH,
Clonsilla,
Dublin 15.
Sir, – As the saga of the Anglo tapes continues to dominate the headlines, we have heard the governor of the Central Bank say that they are embarrassing for this country (Home News, July 8th). In reality, they are not embarrassing, as they are only highlighting the greed and disregard that pertained at the time in such financial institutions towards the general public and the light-touch regulation that allowed it all to happen.
Most of the blame game is focused on the banking institutions, but it could be said that they only did what they were allowed to do. We elected the people who appointed strings of advisers and “ regulators” to look after the proper governance of this country. Future generations will be paying a heavy price for their failure.
Why are many of those who were involved in the banking collapse still holding high-ranking positions? – Yours, etc,
CHRISTY KELLY,
Templeglantine,
Co Limerick.