Madam, - Profound thanks for Fintan O'Toole's column "Martin should resign" (Opinion, April 26th). The astounding silence about Micheál Martin's absolute denial of responsibility for the nursing homes charges debacle had me questioning my own hearing, vision and mental stability.
Witnessing his assertion before the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, I thought: "Ten thousand CEOs will hear that and stand up and say Mr Martin failed as a CEO when he got a whiff of a legal problem (which was clearly already stinking to high heaven) and he did not sit down on the stairs with Mr Kelly and demand a full briefing there and then". It never happened!
I would add to Mr O'Toole's demand and suggest that Bertie Ahern should request Mr Martin's resignation. If not, perhaps some issue will bring the Coalition to a crisis of conscience and we will have an opportunity to turf them all out sooner rather than later. - Yours, etc,
LIAM TUFFY, Nephin Drive, Enniscrone, Co Sligo.
Madam, - If Micheál Martin was a commissioned officer in our Defence Forces and came to a military tribunal with comments such as, "I wasn't fully briefed", or "I was briefed while on the move", or "I received an e-mail but didn't read it", I'm afraid he would be treated with no sympathy by his peers.
As a Minister he has a duty to inform himself, just like an army officer or any other manager.- Yours, etc,
CHRISTOPHER McQUAID (Capt, retired), St Dominic's Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin 24.