Sir, - It was with utter amazement and incomprehension that I read your lead report of December 4th. The Garda Siochana, guardians of the peace in this State, have apparently advised an arm of the state, Aer Rianta, not to provide means of access and egress to law-abiding citizens wishing to avail of the State-run facilities at Dublin Airport. Why? The taxi unions (sic) have warned, nay threatened, that any move to provide this facility could "inflame the taxi dispute over deregulation of the industry and lead to further blockades at the airport."
So, a service to be provided lawfully for lawful citizens is threatened by lawlessness and mob rule. The response of the Garda: protect the lawless and the mob and provide telephones for the public. Would it be too much for the tax-paying citizens of this Republic to expect that their forces of law and order would ensure that those twin concepts are respected and upheld in the face of bully-boy tactics? All too often nowadays, such as in the recent street violence in Cork City, where mob-rule was met by a steely determination to close night-clubs and clamp down on the law-abiding, the Gardai is abrogating its duty to prevent lawlessness in favour of restricting the lawful rights of citizens.
Anarchy is defined as "a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of government)". It is sad indeed that the current phase of anarchy in Ireland is resulting from an abject failure of courage among those appointed to uphold the law. - Yours, etc.,
Daniel Goldsmith, Washington Street, Cork.