Sir, - During the Channel 4 documentary, Witness on October 15th, Francis Stuart stated: ".. . the Jew is the worm that got into the rose and sickened it". I refuse to accept Mr Stuart's justification of this obnoxious statement by what he regards as his superior intellectual irony. A query about his broadcasts from Nazi Germany during the war years simply elicited a derisive "je ne regrette rien". No doubt also to be accepted as an intellectual riposte.
Mr Stuart was recently voted a Saoi by members of Aosdana and conferred by the President. Given his attitude to his wartime work for Nazi Germany, for the Jewish citizens of this country he is totally unfit to hold one of the highest honours this State can grant.
As citizens of Ireland and members of the Jewish faith we call on Aosdana to cancel its controversial "gift" and for the incoming President to immediately remove Francis Stuart's name from the distinguished list. - Yours, etc.,
Leinster Road, Dublin 6.