Madam, - Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey reckons that Eamon Dunphy's evidence to the Mahon tribunal is a "lot of nonsense", because "it's a question of your man told me your man said - and the other fella said something else" ( The Irish Times, 15th October 2007).
Oddly, Mr Dempsey was able to say categorically in the Dáil on November 15th last year (as reported in The Irish Timesthe following day) that a riot had been planned in Bellenaboy by the Shell to Sea campaign.
He justified his statement by saying that a friend of his overheard a conversation someone was having on a phone in Grafton Street.
These were his exact words in the Dáil that day: "My colleague heard mention of the word 'Rossport' and listened to the rest of the conversation, which basically involved the man telling the other person to be ready to go down on Friday because a riot would take place."
What a difference a year makes. - Yours, etc,
JOHN COYLE, Knocknalower, Co Mayo.