Published: Wednesday, 4th November, 2009 10:38am

Noel Dempsey has nothing to prove

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Letter to the Editor

Dear sir - We can now only hope the resignation of Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue, which totally discredits Dail Eireann, will eventually derail the current gravy train for politicians, thus with it bring accountability and transform the entire spectrum of Irish public life.

Nobody wants to see Irish government ministers representing the country abroad sleeping in cars or eating out of grubby cafés, or indeed travelling low budget in the back of a plane.

What is urgently needed is to strike the unique balance where Irish politicians of all parties represent Ireland abroad, and incur vouched expenditure. Clearly all hands should be on deck to sell Ireland abroad on St Patrick's Day each year where the consciousness of Ireland and the Irishness brand is at its peak throughout the globe.

The recent publication of Minister Noel Dempsey's overseas St Patrick's Day expenditure in the proper discharge of his ministerial duties to see Ireland in a social context of St Patrick's Day in Central and North West USA with his team of civil servants is both justifiable and very welcoming to see.

Clearly the incurred expenditure figures is a one off figure and it's misleading and exaggerated to portray it out of context as a litany of pure lavish expenses given the unique Irish-American political relationship, and future intangible financial benefits and goodwill for Ireland into the 21st century that can be acquired.

As a retired Scottish politician myself, Noel Dempsey is in the "nothing to prove category" - one of best Meath and Irish politicians of his generation, with Meath acquiring a great/fantastic innings with his political representation and skill over past decades in Dail Eireann. Abroad, he always speaks glowingly and with warmth of Meath and Ireland.

To aim to publicly humiliate this great man, in any way is very wrong and is indirectly humiliating to the various communities populations of Navan, Trim, and surrounding villages.

There will always be political characters in Irish politics for whom money has a nil relevance to their political motivation and would count Noel Dempsey as one of those very rare Irish public representatives in Dail Eireann.

Without generous America and the diaspora working there, Ireland would be a 'nothing' country. The St Patrick's Day expenditure incurred is clearly justified for a ministerial party of five adults, considering the unique Irish ambassadorial status role of the St Patrick's Day trip, travel distances, and the time involved in putting a face on the affairs of Ireland in a unique social context of St Patrick's Day abroad.

Yours,

Gerard O'Brien,

Whistlemount,

Kells Road,

Navan.