Two magic words from Delaney: ‘legal advice’
JOHN Delaney goes for a chinwag with the Oireachtas Sport Committee and intends to be open, informative, direct and illuminating regarding a notorious €100,000 bridging loan he once gave the soccer association of which he was then CEO.
However, because of two resplendent words, ‘legal advice’, Delaney could not be open, informative, direct or illuminating.
A fixture of short bawls, obstruction, time wasting, and a few dummies, what a contemptuous farce.
Vincent O’Connell, New Ross, Co. Wexford. …THERE is an unfair focus on John Delaney in coverage of the FAI financial controversy.
He loaned €100,000 to the FAI when the finances of that organisation were in a parlous state. There is no question of wrongdoing.
Mr Delaney, who was CEO of the organisation at the time, possibly saved the FAI from bankruptcy. For this he should be thanked. Ireland would be a better place if other wealthy people were prepared to give ‘dig-outs’ to sporting and community groups.
Instead, all the usual media and political suspects have descended on Delaney. Even his perfectly lawful refusal, on legal advice, to answer questions from the Oireachtas Committee on Sport, is being castigated. In my opinion, nobody should co-operate with these kangaroo courts, laughably called Oireachtas committees.
The Irish political establishment, with its committees, fat salaries, allowances and expenses, is a bloated, failed entity, and needs to be reformed. Perhaps John Delaney is the man for the job?
John O’Sullivan, Carrigaline, Co. Cork.
Cloak and dagger
HAVING read Sam Smyth’s piece in last Sunday’s Mail on Bishop Casey, I’m left wondering if the Retention of Records Act, currently awaiting approval of the Oireachtas, doesn’t conflict with the Freedom of Information Act.
Surely it is time to dispose of all these medieval cloak and dagger practices and give some degree of peace to survivors and their relatives.
After all, we now know of the horror that took place at the hands of people who were respected and trusted.
Angelina Elbell, Co. Kerry.
Shape up, An Post
AN Post has been busy putting advertisements on our television screens featuring ‘dashing dame’ Angela Scanlon.
However, the company could be advised to divert some of the money spent on such broadcasts towards improving the appearance of their pillar boxes. In my home town, some of the posting points are in a very shabby state and it is the same in other places visited.
Surely hiring a number of painters would not break the bank and the end product would look much better. Paying attention to such seemingly small matters should be just as important as flashy trumpeting.
Bill McMahon, Navan, Co. Meath.
Senseless tax system
OUR road taxation differentials have no logical justification to them and reek of unfairness.
Inexplicable anomalies in the Irish road taxation system include construction vehicles which pay just €120 annually, despite weighing many tonnes and causing most of the damage to our roads with heavily laden or over-laden trucks and lorries.
Tractors pay €102 annually, even though they can cover our roads in muck and other debris. Taxis, which are on our roads night and day, pay just €95 no matter what size or type of engine they have.
A private electrical car is given a flat rate across the board of just €120, no matter what the size. Vintage and veteran cars pay a token €56 annually, regardless of emissions, despite in some cases having black soot coming out of their exhaust.
Meanwhile, a modern catalytic car is fleeced if it dates from before July 2008 – it can pay an average of €500 annually if it is petrol-fuelled.
Perhaps the most bizarre are tax exempt vehicles, despite having no special markings on them whatsoever.
They appear to be ordinary vehicles which have a curious ‘exempt’ tax disc displayed on their window, while another person pays through the nose for exactly the same vehicle.
It is time for a complete overhaul of what is surely the most bizarre and crassly unfair road taxation system anywhere in the world
Maurice Fitzgerald, Shanbally, Co. Cork.
Don’t blame us…
I ALWAYS feel that when advertisements for gambling and alcohol are aired with wishy-washy health warnings, what they are actually saying is: ‘Drink and gamble as much you like, folks. We don’t care one way or another but it gets us off the hook of added responsibility to say this.’ Robert Sullivan, Bantry, Co. Cork.