Sir, – You report (Michael Parsons, Home News, May 14th) that a retired Irish diplomat who, “understandably does not wish to be named”, is selling items gifted to him while he was employed by the State as a diplomat.
This anonymous diplomat would do well to follow the fine example of our last president, Mary McAleese, who reportedly gifted an estimated €100,000 worth of gifts received while in office to the State. Surely gifts given by a State to a diplomat are intended as gifts from one state to another? Certainly Mary McAleese seemed to think so. – Yours, etc,