Sir, – Is a level of numeracy required to pursue a career as a member of the Garda Síochána? Seemingly not. – Yours, etc,
PAUL DELANEY,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Your front-page article "Worse feared in Garda breath tests scandal" (September 7th) reports that Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan has expressed "her deep dissatisfaction at the findings".
She is quoted as saying that “these failures are completely unacceptable”. It is not immediately clear what she might mean by “completely unacceptable”. Maybe that will become clear in the fullness of time. – Yours, etc,
PÁDRAIC HARVEY,
An Cheathrú Rua,
Co na Gaillimhe.
A chara, – A total of 1.45 million breath tests that were logged but not done. There are 12,859 members of An Garda Síochána as of the end of June. That is an average of 113 wrongfully logged breath tests per member of our police. Unless there is full honesty in the addressing of this scandal, there will continue to be a dark cloud over our police force, with every grassroots garda potentially tainted. That would be another wrong. – Is mise,
CATHERINE
O’DONOHOE,
Newbawn,
Co Wexford.
Sir, – The fact that the Garda exaggerated the amount of breath tests by 500,000 on top of the previous exaggerated figures is a disgrace. The very fact that no one will ever be held accountable leads to utter dismay. What message does this send to us all?
I believe that the force should be disbanded and replaced by a police made up of citizens and working for citizens. – Yours, etc,
PAUL DORAN,
Clondalkin,
Dublin 22.