Letter from Frank Gallagher to Seán MacBride (Dublin)

I agree with most of your letter.¹ The fundamental difficulty is this: the expenditure of public moneys must come before the Dáil. In the present state of politics it is obvious that no matter how right the intentions of the Government are, there will be those who will denounce everything they do. The help given to any Irish agency would be so misrepresented publicly as to kill all hope of the agency ever succeeding. It is for that reason that another course must be taken. The agencies abroad to which you refer were helped either without public debate or at a time when the state of politics in the particular countries left the Government free to do a good national act without its being made into a crime.

If you think of any real way around this difficulty be sure it will have attention.