Madam, - Following Minister of State Tony Killeen's recent embarrassment over the revelation that his constituency office twice made representations on behalf of a convicted sex offender, it now emerges that he made representations for the early release of a murderer (The Irish Times, January 23rd).
On RTÉ's Morning Ireland yesterday, Mr Killeen once again admitted that he hadn't seen, signed or approved letters issued in his name. He revealed that his constituency office had issued more than 200,000 letters in his 14 years as a TD, not counting e-mails and phone calls. It is probably safe to assume that at least half of these letters required a response from some government department or agency.
If every TD was equally productive, this would mean that more than 50 million pieces of mail had been generated in that period, many of them the result of a TD merely going through the motions, but all of them consuming resources that could be better used.
There is clearly a substantial industry involved in making the delivery of public services dependent on keeping you indebted to your local TD, solely for the purpose of his or her re-election, and it is all being paid for out of public funds.
The Killeen episode shows that we need to end this form of political serfdom for citizens and instead provide a State-wide network of professionally staffed offices to give the public proper advice and advocacy services. - Yours, etc,
PETER MOLLOY,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.
Madam, - The controversy about the letters from Tony Killeen seeking the early release of prisoners convicted of serious crimes serves to highlight the invidious clientelism we have allowed to become a feature of public life in Ireland.
Instead of working to ensure that the State services and those employed in them work for the benefit of all citizens, many TDs seem to be employed in spending our money to convince us that they can confer special privileges on those constituents who seek their help.
It is a strand in their efforts to become re-elected, and is colluded in by constituents, civil servants, most, if not all, candidates and the media, which carry reports of which politician is the best constituency worker.
The reports of Mr Killeen's actions, and his claim that he has sent out 200,000 letters during his time in the Dáil and that he saw or signed very few of them, exposes the fact that the system has become automated, depersonalised and meaningless.
It also gives us some idea of what clientelism is costing the taxpayer, because we are certainly paying for it. If a prisoner is entitled to early release there are parole boards, prison visiting committees and the justice system to oversee this.
It is time that we told Ministers and TDs to get on with the job they were elected to do, and stopped playing this expensive, anti-democratic electioneering game. - Yours, etc,
TERESA GRAHAM,
Meadowbrook,
Tramore,
Co Waterford.