Sir, - I read with interest the plans proposed by the present management of Bord na Móna for its future.
As a young man - and indeed until he died last year - I had the privilege of Aodeghan O'Rahilly's friendship. He had been at school with my father.
When Eamon de Valera was in power he asked Aodeghan to try and develop the turf bogs. And Bord na Móna was created. Aodeghan and his managing director, Todd Andrews, used to stay with us in north Mayo when they were on their inspection tours of the bogs up there, and of course we heard a great deal abut what was really going on.
Aodeghan was always very conscious of the communistic tendencies of the Civil Service and he was very uneasy about the draconian compulsive powers to take land that Bord na Móna had been given. His own wish was that when the turf had been removed the land should be returned to its owners. He used to say that the higher Civil Service was so outraged at this idea of surrendering something over which they had managed to gain power that he used to be quite concerned.
Surely now that these communist tendencies have been at least suppressed this injustice should be rectified rather than creating more free rides at the private citizens' expense. - Yours, etc.,
EAMON McENERY,
Shannonhill,
Powerscross,
Portumna,
Co Galway.