Sir, - I refer to a letter from Mr Billy Fleming (November 3rd) concerning the Luas light rail proposal for Dublin and the Prime Time special report transmitted on October 29th which investigated the controversy surrounding it.
During the course of his letter, Mr Fleming stated: "I suspect that the Prime Time visit coincided with one of the Luas fact-finding media events, so I would therefore have to have a box of Saxa to hand while viewing this objective programme . . ."
This assertion is simply untrue, and constitutes a serious slight on myself and this entire department.
Our trip to Hanover and Zurich was entirely funded by RTE and there was never any suggestion by anyone that it should be otherwise. It was initiated by this department and did not coincide with any Luas "media event" that I am aware of.
We asked various members of the underground and on-street lobbies to suggest cities of similar size to Dublin which they felt best demonstrated their respective case and then carried out our own research before choosing two to visit.
I am surprised that The Irish Times should publish a letter containing a claim which seriously impugns the professionalism and ethical standards of a number of different people, particularly when a single phone-call would have been sufficient to show conclusively that there was absolutely no truth in it. - Yours, etc.,
Donogh Diamond,
Reporter, Prime Time, RTE, Dublin 4.