Madam, - The then Minister of Finance living a chaotic financial lifestyle with no personal bank accounts - where did he cash his salary? - making large cash lodgments and withdrawals, including some in foreign currency, seemingly paying no heed to the exchange control regulations for which he himself was responsible, and signing books of blank cheques.
He was in charge of the State's finances!
And what of the role of AIB in these events? Apparently there was no questioning of why a Government Minister would require such large amounts of cash or why he was making such large cash lodgments, sometimes in sterling, apparently without adherence to the exchange control regulations. Finally it seems, the bank was ripping off the Minister of Finance by charging the incorrect commission on his foreign exchange transactions.
- Yours, etc,
DAVID McCABE, Waltham Terrace, Blackrock, Co Dublin.
Madam, - The Mahon tribunal has now spent three days examining Bertie Ahern regarding matters totalling £84,000 (€110,000).
How much have the taxpayers paid tribunal counsel Des O'Neill for those three days? How much has three days of the Mahon tribunal cost the same taxpayers?
- Yours, etc,
CAL HYLAND, Closheen Lane, Rosscarbery, West Cork.
Madam, - Oh, that money!
- Yours, etc,
GERARD LEE, St Agnes Park, Crumlin, Dublin 12.