Madam, - The Minister for Finance made it known over recent years that two of his main bugbears were the pernicious influence on society of "pinko liberals" and the respect paid in Ireland to what he contemptuously termed the "Goddess of OTA" (openness, transparency and accountability).
Small wonder, then, that he should act to remedy both supposed defects in society by repealing the effective sections of the Freedom of Information Act, the better to hide government actions from the people.
The glory of his exploit begins with the Orwellian touch of conducting his preparations behind the back of the Information Commissioner, the single public servant most directly concerned with Freedom of Information. But to carry out the legislative act from the racecourse in Cheltenham gives the entire escapade a distinctly Bourbon hue.
In my awe at Mr McCreevy's action, all I can say is that the junior Minister concerned, Mr Tom Parlon, is perhaps taking his duty as a PD watchdog to extremes by shadowing his Minister to the races, rather than being on watch in Dáil Éireann where the real damage to public accountability is being done.
What are the PDs for? - Yours, etc.,
HUGO BRADY BROWN, Stratford on Slaney, Co Wicklow.
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Madam, - Should the proposed amending legislation become law may I suggest media outlets publish monthly a schedule of all requests for information refused the previous month with reason for refusal. Sometimes a refusal speaks as eloquently as a reply. - Yours, etc.,
TERRY GRIFFIN, Aughrim Street, Dublin 7.