Sir, - While I admire the Taoiseach for his major contribution to the Peace Process, I must express my dissatisfaction with his behaviour in other areas.
I object to Mr Ahern, ostensibly promoting an informal partner to be his official consort by bringing her on official business abroad and to official functions at home. Mr Ahern would like to consider his relationship with Ms Larkin to be an entirely private matter, but his recent actions have put it firmly into the public domain and it is therefore legitimate that it be commented upon as a matter of public interest.
Such behaviour mars the image of his high office and sets a bad example because it opens the way for other public figures to follow suit. It would not be tolerated in France, the UK or the USA.
This letter makes no judgment on the status of the relationship. It comments solely on the damaging effects that arise where a person in high office (married or unmarried) parades an informal partner as their official consort without the relationship being regularised. This behaviour has the undesirable effect of putting casual and informal relationships on a par with marriage and of undermining marriage by treating it the same as a casual relationship.
Those in high office should give good example in social as well political spheres. They should set high standards, rather than attempting to change accepted norms that do not suit them.
Many in this country, whatever their political allegiance, greatly respect traditional standards of behaviour. They are justly proud of the cultural heritage for which Ireland has been renowned. They do not like what they are seeing now. Historically, prominent persons kept girlfriends or mistresses. This was often widely known or suspected. But such relationships did not create public scandals, nor did they undermine the dignity of the office or the dignity of marriage, because they were not publicly recognised. I am very sympathetic to unfortunate spouses in broken, separated marriages, who need the friendship and company of members of the other sex. But this sympathy does not amount to accepting such friendships as being on a par with formal marriage. They should be kept in the private domain.
My purpose is not to detract from Mr Ahern's political performance, nor to define the status of his relationship with Ms Larkin - that is a matter for themselves. My purpose is to deprecate the poor moral leadership of our Taoiseach. He has no mandate to abandon the traditional norms of public behaviour. I ask those who share these views to express them. I am glad the Church of Ireland Gazette has spoken out. - Yours, etc., Peter H Quinlan,
Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4.