Madam, - However damning the Report of the Morris Tribunal regarding the actions of a few gardaí in Donegal, of much more serious import is the critical analysis by Professor Dermot Walsh (July 17th) of the damaging culture - that they can do whatever they want to achieve their ends - that has grown up since the 1970s in the gardaí generally.
This goes to the root of democracy and calls for a radical change in the mindset of each individual garda and, even more significantly, demands a fundamental exploration of the role and deterioration in supervision by all senior management in the force over the last thirty years.
Nevertheless, and in spite of all the characteristic bleatings of the politicians, - not a few of whom have been seen with unclean hands lately - there are few of us who cannot point to a very satisfactory experience in dealing with individual members of the gardaí, who have shown the utmost courtesy and concern when dealing with members of the public. - Yours, etc.,
PHILIP FLOOD,
Ballinteer Avenue,
Dublin 16.