It’s easy to be charitable at our expense, Alan

The €70,000 that Alan Shatter gave to charity should not have been his to give.

He was a member of the Cabinet that voted to put an end to these severance payments to ministers. The fact that Brendan Howlin failed to sign the bill into law should not have made any difference: the appropriate thing to do was not to take taxpayers’ money.

Just who does he think he is, playing God with our money?

L. Higgins, implications for the public purse and, ultimately, for child safety’.

Bus Éireann is answerable to the Department of Education for the operation of the School Transport Scheme and furnishes audited annual accounts.

Allegations of bribery have not had any ‘profound effect’ on these and there is simply no basis to state that child safety could be affected or compromised by these allegations.

Bus Éireann school buses are regularly maintained, have significant safety checks and all vehicles have seatbelts. The company has extensive safety protocols for all drivers and contractors.

Bus Éireann did not claim that the ‘whistleblower had withdrawn his allegations’. The company report outlines that a significant portion of the key allegations were effectively withdrawn or significantly amended during the interview with the Bus Éireann interviewer, and we stand by this.

Your editorial refers to Transport Minister Leo Varadkar ordering a ‘second report’. This is not correct.

Three ministers, including junior ministers Ciarán Cannon and Alan Kelly, requested one report last April following these allegations and this has been received