Ministerial phone-ins and handlers

Sir, – Miriam Lord is right, in general, to say that over the years "a plethora of officials would station themselves in a room next to the studio" for the post-budget phone-in with the Minister for Finance ("It's all a question of ministerial handlers", October 17th).

As a former producer on the radio programme in question, I can say that there was one exception.

Alan Dukes would arrive totally relaxed with neither handler nor official to be seen. And he was never stuck for an answer! – Yours, etc,

TOM MANNING,

Dublin 4.