Madam, - I write with sadness for the family of John Carthy following the publication of the Barr Report who now must live with the knowledge that their loved one might not have been killed by the State had the decisions of senior gardaí been more careful, considered and correct.
The criticism levelled at the two principal gardaí in the report indicates the grave level of ignorance and misunderstanding of mental illness and the basic necessities around the management of a person in such distress.
However a more serious and somewhat prevalent problem for the senior professional is his/her innate cultural complacency in decision-making, whereby the power of command and control breeds a lack of openness to learning and change.
There appears to have been a supremacy and some feelings of invincibility by the senior gardaí in the Carthy case that they would solve the problem by themselves. This has obviously proven dangerous and unfortunate for all concerned.
The modern senior professional (in any profession), notwithstanding their obligations in decision-making, should have an openness to learning even in acute, stressful or emergency situations whereby they seek to take on board the advice and guidance of others - expert and non-expert - in appropriate and aligned professional areas.
Simply asking the advice of others and looking beyond the vagaries of "Garda business" would have provided the necessary learning in the Carthy case and thus perhaps a more favourable outcome.
The professional who thinks he knows everything also thinks he has nothing further to learn. . . unfortunately. - Yours, etc,
TOMMY HEALY, Kiltoom, Athlone.
Madam, - Did anyone else notice - as I did - the deft way in which) RTÉ Prime Time (July 20th) handled the Barr tribunal report into the death of John Carthy?
Did anyone else find it surprising that reference to the irresponsible reporting by a (then) RTÉ Five Seven Live journalist provoked so little response among his NUJ colleagues in an otherwise concentrated analysis of Garda failures in this sorry affair? - Yours, etc,
FRANK CORR Oakley Road, Ranelagh, Dublin