FitzGerald and Costello had integrity and intellect

THE recent deaths of Garret FitzGerald and Declan Costello should give us pause for reflection about the calibre of those who entered Irish public life in more recent decades.

Will any of the people who have held the office of Taoiseach since Dr FitzGerald warrant the same display of respect from the public as that shown on his passing?

Is there any current senior public service who comes remotely close to having made the same contribution as Mr Costello.

Instead, by consistently supporting the crony politics of Fianna Fáil the Irish public gave their active approval to the creation of a public sector motivated, it seems, solely by money and doing whatever they can to enrich themselves at someone else’s expense, where any sign of intellect or integrity was stamped out.

The lack of a desire to serve their country is evident from the myriad allowances, time-off agreements and extra payments those on the front line fought for and have fought to keep, not to mention the labyrinth of expenses and pensions put in place for those at more senior levels to buy their silence.

Isn’t it remarkable Declan Costello was able to produce The Just Society without a legion of staff paid for by the taxpayer, yet today’s public servants are incapable of speaking on any topic with a pre-approved script in front of them beforehand?

Having now lost two towering intellects, and men of honesty, which might be seen as carelessness, let’s hope Dr Whittaker and Liam Cosgrave are being well cared for as Ireland doesn’t exactly have an oversupply of people in public life with their levels of integrity and intellect.

Desmond FitzGerald

Canary Wharf

London