Madam, - The withdrawal of the invitation to Dr Jerry Cowley to address the Humbert-Davitt Summer School in Ballina, Co Mayo, was not made on account of disliking his views, as claimed by fellow Independent TDs Marian Harkin and Catherine Murphy in their statement as to why they decided not to participate in the school debate.
As I was neither shown nor asked for comment by your reporter Carol Coulter on the statement issued by the two deputies, I wish to put it on the record that the invitation was withdrawn from Dr Cowley because at a private meeting in Glenamoy he had voted in favour of a decision of the Shell to Sea protest campaign not to send two representatives to debate the Corrib gas pipeline issue with the Shell company and the Government at this week's school.
This decision meant that the Humbert-Davitt School was thwarted of a unique round-table exchange of views on the Corrib issue. Dr Cowley, in effect, aborted this debate.
Unfortunately, Deputies Murphy and Harkin have either failed to understand the substantive issue or they have wilfully misrepresented my position in choosing to boycott the school. - Yours, etc,
JOHN COONEY, Director, Humbert-Davitt Summer School, Co Mayo.