Two sides to every coin in a €50,000 loan

THE debate on the issue of payments to the Taoiseach has been a fascinating piece of political theatre over the past week.

It has given all of us the opportunity to examine the health of our democratic institutions and our own, our media and our politicians’ reaction to a matter of public controversy.

To some, a ‘dig-out of a fella in trouble’ is nobody’s business but those involved. For others, any payments to a prominent politician in a position of power smacks of corruption.

One person’s ‘cynical leak’ of sensitive information could constitute another’s ‘whistle blowing’ in relation to a matter of public interest.

If you happen to be in Government, Justice Minister Michael McDowell’s leak of a Garda file was ‘patriotic’ and the leaking of information on payments to Bertie Ahern was ‘sinister’. If you happen to be in opposition, you probably took the opposite view.

For some, €50,000 is small change; for others, it is a vast sum of money.

To some people, politicians’ private lives have no relevance to their public lives. Others feel if politicians put themselves forward to represent the rest of us, then they are public people not private people.

Many feel politicians are dedicated and honest while others feel they use their positions for self-promotion and are not averse to backhanders if they think they can get away with it.

Whatever our views, all of us should realise we live in a democracy and can make up our own minds.

Anthony Leavy

1 Shielmartin Drive

Sutton

Dublin 13