DERRICK HAMBLETON,
Sir, - As the fall-out from the Flood Tribunal continues, your readers should be reminded of what researchers from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust had to say last February about Ireland's present rating in the corruption stakes.
Rowntree said: "Ireland is now rated one of the more corrupt countries in Europe. Traditional notions of integrity in Irish public life were battered by a succession of tribunals which revealed patterns of corruption at the centre of Irish politics, administration, public life, education and banking, accentuated by political cronyism. Although the many tribunals have been successful in uncovering the nature of these transgressions, it cannot be said that the penalties imposed have been other than minimal. Nor have they led to the establishment of the range of oversight mechanisms and measures which are routinely used to prevent corruption in other countries, especially in eastern and central Europe." How perceptive the authors were.
With regard to planning issues, Michael Smith of An Taisce is right to say that the Flood report would be "meaningless unless reform the planning system". But this Government has made it more likely that corruption will continue. By shortening the period within which legitimate comment may be made on a planning application, and by imposing a significant charge on this, the Government has made life much easier for crooked developers. - Yours, etc.,
DERRICK HAMBLETON, Kingston, Galway.
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Sir, - I rang Government Publications on Tuesday to order copies of the tribunal report for my colleagues. I was informed that about 100 CD-ROMs remained and that, contrary to radio reports, these could not be ordered by credit card, but were available for purchase by personal callers only.
The printed version was sold out and no new copies were planned.
Who decided this and why? - Yours, etc.,
GERRY LAWLESS, Castleblakeney, Ballinasloe, Co Galway.
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Sir, - Will the Flood aftermath be Noah to Nice? - Yours, etc.,
KEVIN O'SULLIVAN, Ballyraine Park, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.