Power of money

YOUR columnist Ryle Dwyer (Irish Examiner, October 15) says Eamon de Valera “used to decry the pernicious influence of money on American politics”. Very laudable, one might say.

However, is it not true that Dev spent much time and energy in America collecting large sums of money? I always understood he was hugely successful in raising funds, firstly for the IRA during the War of Independence and later for the Irish Press.

Presumably there was no danger of money having a “pernicious influence” on Irish politics.