Bertie’s stamp is all over this affair

THE planning enforcement officer at Roscommon County who opened the letter that arrived on her desk in mid November must have experienced, at the very least, a mild frisson of surprise.

The letter was from a TD. Nothing unusual in that. It referred to an unauthorised development. Nothing unusual in that. It made a case, on humanitarian grounds, for suspending an enforcement notice. Nothing really unusual in that.

What was really unusual was the signature that was appended at the bottom of the letter. 'Bertie' it said. It could have come from no other. Yes, the letter had come from the Taoiseach himself.