Madam, – Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern is quoted (Home News, February 16th), defending Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea who made a false statement in an affidavit: “Fine Gael are returning to type. They’ve always tried to get the dirt on people. It is despicable, to be honest”.
Should he not say: “It is despicable to be dishonest”?
– Yours, etc,
DEIRDRE McDERMOTT
Knockaphrumpa
Co Wicklow.
Madam, – Minister for Defence, Willie O’Dea, BCL, LLM, BL, by his statement to the Dáil appears to vindicate himself on an accusation of deliberately stating untruths under oath. However, by his own statement, he has indicated a level of incompetence that is extremely worrying for any member of Cabinet, let alone one with his legal qualifications.
In the sure knowledge that his comments had been recorded, he nonetheless submitted a sworn statement to the High Court without the basic precaution of checking the recording to refresh his memory as to what he actually said.
This alone would have required that Dáil Éireann should have voted no confidence in him as a Minister.
– Yours, etc,