Madam, -I HAVE watched, read and listened to the voluminous coverage and comment on Mr Ahern's tribulations at the Mahon tribunal. However, no matter how many opposition spokespeople, media commentators and letter writers tell us that a serious offence has taken place, I continue to feel uncomfortable with what is happening.
The fact is, that other than having a well paid job, Mr Ahern is not a person of great personal wealth. There are no property or stock portfolios, just a single residence of modest size in a middle-class area of the capital. In addition, he does not indulge himself with high-end cars, yachts or holidays and in terms of wealth demographic, he has more in common with the majority middle class than most of his predecessors.
I have no doubt some of the evidence that Mahon has uncovered will stick and he may not be Taoiseach after the summer; however, he does not appear to have greatly benefited from these "bungs". They refer to a time in his life of great personal stress and there is not a shred of proof that he did any form of "favour" in return.
Despite the sneering comments of Quentin Fottrell (April 1st) and others, Mr Ahern remains a likeable, hardworking, ineloquent, sports mad man of modest means and that there has been no "heave" against him to date is down to his own party members knowing this.
Lest we forget, the Mahon tribunal was set up to look into "certain planning matters", not Mr Ahern's past!- Yours, etc,
Madam, - Given some of the commentary on the Taoiseach's High Court challenge to the Mahon tribunal this week, it would appear that the only two people not entitled to vindicate what they believe to be their constitutional rights before the High Court are Cardinal Desmond Connell and his fellow resident of Drumcondra, Mr Ahern. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL KELLY, Kilmainham, Dublin 8.
Madam, - It's my firm belief that Bertie Ahern is not a crook;that he is not acquisitive, and that he's certainly not in politics to line his own pockets. Indeed, I might even suggest that he is the quintessential modern-day statesman.
It would be a terrible shame if his obvious misdemeanours were to cloud his many achievements.
Unfortunately, his adversaries are adamant that his political career should end not in glory but in ignominy.
It looks like ephemeral humiliation awaits Bertie; but history is bound to treat him more kindly. - Yours, etc,
Madam, - The story you ran on Saturday (March 30th) about the amount of money passing through Mr Ahern's bank accounts is staggering.
Add to this the support Mr Ahern is receiving from his colleagues, from the PDs and the Green Party, and a picture of a democracy that is in crisis emerges.
Perhaps it is time that ordinary people took it upon themselves to either stand as anti -corruption candidates in the local government elections or to make it known that they will support those willing to stand. - Yours, etc,
GEARÓID Ó DÚBHÁIN, Rochestown, Co Cork.
Madam, - I wonder if I am the only one who sees a certain analogy in the delaying tactics of Bertie Ahern and Robert Mugabe, each desperately struggling to hold on to power? Both slow learners, or what? - Yours, etc,
Madam, - The most unsettling thing about the Taoiseach and his finances is the failure of judgment being displayed by the governing parties.
The Taoiseach should have been "urged" to step aside long ago to facilitate due process and to avoid distracting from effective government of the country. Instead, ministers sat on their hands while burying heads in the sand. In fairness, the Taoiseach has been a victim of the "no resign under any circumstances" syndrome which permeates Irish politics.
A higher standard would have allowed him to step aside with no imputation of wrongdoing and to fight his corner with greater freedom. As a consequence, the country is now being run, if that word can be used loosely, by a distracted government which places parties first, shirks collective Cabinet responsibility and betrays the electorate's trust. How can ordinary citizens register their disgust other than by voting No in June? - Yours, etc,
Madam, - No one can deny that our Taoiseach has been, as Sheila Peck points out (April 1st), "successful, hard-working and extremely dedicated".
His mentor, Charles J Haughey, was also successful, hard-working and extremely dedicated when minister, when taoiseach and when it came to collecting large amounts of money from friends for personal use.
But a lot of people, not just The Irish Times, have a big problem with this financial activity, always did and always will, and the sooner the Fianna Fáil faithful realise this, the better. - Yours, etc,
PATRICK O'BYRNE, Phibsborough, Dublin 7.