Sir, - Some weeks ago I listened to Morning Ireland as Richard Crowley pursued Jackie Healy-Rae, TD on the issue of Independent TDs being exempt from publishing receipts for their £22,000 constituency expenses. Apparently, under a new Dβil regulation, all TDs except the Independents must do so.
The irony was that Richard Crowley himself works for a publicly funded organisation which refuses to publish any receipts for its spending of taxpayers' money.
Ms S∅le de Valera has refused to grant a licence increase to RT╔ until she is satisfied that the extra money is necessary and that accounts will be published. In the meantime, we cannot know what Pat Kenny earns for his hours on air; likewise Joe Duffy, Gerry Ryan, Marian, Miriam, etc.
RT╔ presenters and producers pride themselves on asking public servants the hard questions. That is as it should be. They would, however, sound a lot more convincing if they occasionally asked themselves a hard question.
They could start by asking why there is so much secrecy in RT╔ regarding its accounts and salaries of its presenters. - Yours, etc.,
Jim O'Brien, Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan.