THERE is no smoke without fire. When the elected representatives of a community in El Salvador took out an advertisement in a national daily newspaper which was critical of four Irish aid workers, it was worthy of attention.

Were these Irish being scapegoated, and put in fear of their lives?

As a journalist with experience of reporting on development issues in Somalia, Kenya, India, Nepal and China, I had no particular reason to think otherwise.

Irish aid workers, through nongovernmental organisations cofunded by APSO, and directly through APSO placements, have been doing excellent work around the world.

However, international aid is a highly competitive business, and concerns have been expressed both here and elsewhere about the quality of some assistance.

It is not a subject too many people wish to debate. Any hiccup in the £100 million Irish aid programme, however small, can have a spin off effect, due to the close links between organisations in terms of funding and personnel.

Some 78 Irish aid organisations received APSO funding for placements in 1995.

The taxpayer has a right to know how that money is being spent very valuably, in many cases.

If the representatives of a community the size of Arklow had reservations about Irish involvement in El Salvador, based on incidents which took place in 1993, they were entitled to have their voices heard. The tone of the response, and accompanying letters, from APSO would suggest that this is still a sensitive issue.

At no stage in my articles was there any suggestion that skills and experience of APSO personnel generally were being called into question.

Three points which Mr Beggan makes do require clarification.

. Col Michael O'Shea, a retired senior Army officer working as an adviser to the Human Rights Ombudsman in El Salvador, is a highly skilled and respected member of the Defence Forces with previous experience in Central America. As he is currently on an APSO placement, a request for an interview on an issue with which he had no direct involvement would have compromised him. Other sources were interviewed.

This newspaper was pursuing specific issues and was not in Central America to do a public relations exercise for any organisation.

. Mr Philip Borkholder the US aid agency worker, was interviewed by telephone as someone with direct experience of the Segundo Montes situation. His quotes were read to him by telephone two days before publication and he was fully aware of their contents.

. The reference to the unease felt by some members of the Irish Catholic Church did not in any way imply that all members were unhappy, but I did speak to some religious who expressed concern about APSO's role in the region not all of these people were happy to be named.

The central issue has not been addressed by Mr Beggan why was an advertisement in a national daily newspaper naming Irish aid workers, and a report submitted to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms Joan Burton, late last year, not investigated independently?

When a human rights lawyer, Maria Julia Hernandez, who has received many international awards, raised questions while also emphasising that she did not know the full details - was she not worthy of attention?

Is the western world's voice in developing countries the only one worth listening to when conflicts arise?

As Prof Beth Cagan of Cleveland University told The Irish Times: "One may feel one knows what is best for victims, but one cannot put words in people's mouths.

"When you don't know who to trust, you trust the person whose language and culture you speak, who is the colour of your skin... "