Whatever happened to high standards in public office?

Barry Walsh, (Letters, Nov 19), reminds us that, “During the 1970s and 1980s, all councillors worked for free and received no salary.

In Dublin, this resulted in a large number of councillors being influenced by wealthy individuals who wanted planning decisions.” By implication, we are invited to believe that all back-handers to councillors ceased as soon as official expenses were offered to them instead.

Those who followed the farce that was the Planning Tribunal a few years back may have a wry smile for that observation. What is more worrying, however, is the implied theat that, if we don’t give our councilors something then we can hardly blame them if they make a “few bob” some other way. As a justification for these expenses, it does quite the opposite. Whatever happened to standards in public office, Barry?