Letters

Seven seats of influence 

Sir - With no possibility of Sinn Fein moving from its policy of abstention, is it not time for it to consider vacating its seven seats at Westminster, allowing for seven by-elections in Northern Ireland?

Veronica's legacy should be that nation stands up to crime gangs 

May I, through the medium of your widely read newspaper, congratulate RTÉ on their re-run on Wednesday night of the film 'Veronica Guerin' and, more importantly, on the follow-up programme...

Not banking on improvements for hard-pressed rural areas 

With the recent announcements of the reduction and withdrawal of services by the banking sector in the regions, the decline of rural Ireland continues unabated.

Myers got it badly wrong - but let's not turn it into a witch hunt 

I am writing in relation to the recent controversy regarding journalist Kevin Myers. Much ink has been spilled on the topic and I am simply adding to the copious amounts already written.

Most pressing debate is on the pay gap between rich and poor 

It is exhausting to have to read through David Quinn's article defending the indefensible.

Blame attached to Cowen for the crash is disproportionate 

It is amusing to read of the public anger and bile arising from the conferring of an honorary degree on former Taoiseach Brian Cowen. Irrespective of his role in the faux Celtic Tiger, it has been a...

Leo is wrong on border... we need to devise, create and own it 

The Taoiseach's comments on Friday that it was not his Government's job to find a solution to a hard border presumably indicate his Government's frustration with the UK's approach to Brexit...

The terrible states of fear 

Sir - I read the article about Dr Randles and the letters in reply (Sunday Independent, July 16 and 23).

The letter I wish I'd sent 

Dear Daddy, Father, Dad, Yes - all three of you! You would be men whose paths never crossed - not to my knowledge, anyway, yet you have each occupied a pivotal point in my life.

We must hold governments accountable for their wrongdoings 

In his outrage at Louis Shawcross pointing out the West has been guilty of self-interest in its political machinations over the last, at least, 60 years or so, Grzegorz Kolodziej (Irish Independent, July...

No honorary doctorates for the many thousands who suffered 

Full marks, not to 'Dr' Brian Cowen, but to the National University of Ireland. What was the pressing urgency into honouring a man who presided over the slide into chaos of a noble nation? Mr...

Decades of neglect of water infrastructure comes home to roost 

The burst water main that has consequences for people who live in or near Drogheda, and the refunding of water charges are covered in the media by the day at present. That situation is a...

If Irish public won't pay for RTÉ, it will quickly become obsolete 

The hullabaloo about the gender pay gap in RTÉ follows the publication of comparable data by BBC. The 56th annual report discloses that cash-strapped RTÉ reported a deficit in 2016 of €19.7m from...

Letters to the Editor: Harm of emotional abuse can last longer than physical injuries 

I salute Mary Kenny's recognition of the curse of domestic violence ('Behind closed doors', Irish Independent, July 22), both on a national and...

The good Doctor Randles 

Sir - I buy the Sunday Independent regularly, principally for the excellence of the articles by its regular columnists, particularly, but not only, Eoghan Harris, Eilis O'Hanlon, Miriam O'Callaghan, Declan Lynch and Brendan O'Connor.

Cleaning up our public water system should be top priority 

I fully agree with your correspondent Catherine O'Mahony's article regarding the matter of water charges ('I'll take my water refund, but I'd rather we had clean pipes and a safe supply', Irish...

Blame State and society for ill treatment of single mothers 

In the past, unmarried mothers were treated badly - first, by the men who got them pregnant; second, by their parents who threw them out of the house; third, by the State which did not support them;...

Geographic spread of GAA teams should be most pressing issue 

Fred Molloy calls Dublin GAA footballers a "magnificent team" and complains that they get a bad press (Irish Independent, Letters, July 18).

Our national attitude to precious clean water is very immature 

As refunds are rightly coming back to those who paid the water charges, to maintain some fairness against those who refused to pay, one has to reflect on the whole issue and wonder what...

Letters to the Editor: Budget must focus on helping those living in extreme poverty 

Some 300 Irish people have grown their wealth by more than €100bn, our national media stated in April 2017. There is stark contrast when one...

Leo's tax breaks for publicans will put taxis out of business 

I was absolutely astonished at your headline on Saturday ('Tax breaks for publicans to ferry customers home', Irish Independent, July 15) informing us that the Government, in a mad...

An Post's wrong address 

Sir - Europe is straining under a massive migration crisis. And into this complex, geopolitical mess, we now appear to have a mission statement from that most august of political bodies, An Post.

If TV licence system is broke, fix it - don't penalise the payers 

Some months ago, RTÉ director general Dee Forbes suggested doubling the licence fee, now she wants just a 7pc increase. Presumably, we are all supposed to feel relieved, like the annual...

Letters to the Editor: Donald Trump's values add up to classic sociopathy 

Ian O'Doherty insists Donald Trump was right to question our will to fight for Western values (Irish Independent, July 11). A proper response could quite easily be the bones of a PhD thesis. As I...

Burnt-out wreck a fitting monument to official neglect 

Magnificent in its unique and lofty position, the former Our Lady's Hospital building stood majestically for centuries overlooking Cork city, often beautifully reflected in the still waters of...

'Hail Marys' aren't trivial 

Sir - There is no doubt about the enormous demand among parents for non-religious school patronage.

Letters to the Editor: Trump praises outlier Poland - still untouched by terrorism 

I refer to US President Donald Trump's speech in Warsaw this week where, in his admiration for Poland and its centuries-long fight for...

Malak's husband deserves independent inquiry into her death 

In today's Ireland, no woman should die during surgery required following a pregnancy being diagnosed as ectopic.

Being middle class is its own punishment here in Ireland 

Following my letter (Irish Independent, July 3) regarding the Jobstown protest, many people were irritated that I identified myself as middle class. Unfortunately, they missed the context, so I...

Cuts to services while executives are raking it in a crying shame 

I am a parent of a child who attends St Raphael's Special School in Celbridge, Co Kildare. I have been waiting for the last year to see what would happen since the revelations about some St John of God...

Church must face reality on schools 

Your reports on the ban of the ‘baptism barrier’ in Catholic schools (Irish Independent, June 28) are illuminating in the lack of questioning in the logic of the insular reaction of both the Catholic Church and mainstream politicians.

Insult to associate 'working class' with foul-mouthed protesters 

The furore surrounding the Jobstown Six trial has pushed the real issue to the sidelines.

Appalling way to treat elderly 

Sir - The article in last week's Sunday Independent entitled 'Patients put into nappies to free up care staff' described this practice of using nappies for our elderly as "demeaning and disturbing".

The letter I wish I'd sent 

Dear Mum,

'Nappies' are simply abuse 

Sir - It is a shocking indictment of the meaning of 'care' when we reach a point of degrading and humiliating treatment of our older population in alleged 'care homes' by putting them into 'nappies' even if they don't require them.

Letters to the Editor: Remote qualifications are perfect for judicial selection role 

In the light of Shane Ross's attempt to introduce lay people into the system of judicial selection, might I proffer my services?

Power of people should pose no threat to judicial independence 

The judicial class and their legal buddies in the political class protest too much at the notion that a lay majority commission would be unqualified to select judges and could undermine judicial...

School bus cutbacks the final nail in the coffin of rural Ireland 

The recent 'Nearest School' rule that will compel the children - who were, up to now, entitled to receive school bus transport to their own central parish school - to attend the national school that...

Some lessons of the past 

Sir - When, as a teenager, I was told by my handlers that there was nothing new under the sun, I believed them. I still do today, because it makes sense, and because it is a phrase taken from the Christian Bible.

It's up to women voters to elect themselves into power 

The issue of the under-representation of women is receiving some attention following the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

All societies need free competition between ideas and beliefs 

The constant demand that the governance of Ireland, and of all publicly funded bodies, be radically secular seems at odds with the realities of Irish cultural sensibilities.

Extra pay for 'super-junior' ministers illegitimate and absurd 

Article 28.1 of the Constitution declares explicitly that the Government shall not consist of fewer than seven, or more than 15 members.

Newly-appointed minister can Ring changes for rural Ireland 

In Irish mythology, Fionn mac Cumhaill and Na Fianna always enjoyed an invigorating swim in the wild Atlantic waves from Slea Head to Erris head on summer solstice, the day when the sun god was...

Grenfell puts media's despicable depiction of the poor in focus 

It strikes me that the terrible tower blaze in London contained people who are poor for the most part, but is it only now certain awful television programmes mocking just such citizens will be...

Restoring virility in sea 

Sir - In Irish mythology, Fionn mac Cumhaill and Na Fianna were accustomed to taking a long, invigorating swim in the wild Atlantic waves on summer solstice, the day when the sun god was closest to Ireland. On that day, Manannan mac Lir, the god of the sea, lavished his bounty of...

Taoiseach wants to encourage 'Gaeilge a úsáid sa ghnáthshaol' 

As a bilingual Irish person myself, it was heartening to hear our new Taoiseach expressing his own personal commitment to Irish in his inaugural address. This went far beyond the usual cúpla...

Varadkar will have to get up pretty early in the morning... 

On his very first day, Leo Varadkar has insulted the hardworking people of Ireland by saying that he has no doubt that, only for Enda Kenny, the country as we know it would not be here today. What...

UK is sneezing - so Ireland would be wise to keep its distance 

Some commentators believe that Theresa May's humiliating kick in the tail in last week's UK election will mean a soft Brexit, which would be better for Ireland.

Better pay may help us keep our homegrown healthcare talent 

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) is calling for a special deal for groups such as nurses and doctors in pay talks, in light of continuing shortages of staff numbers in hospitals.

Varadkar mistaken on Fine Gael's origin 

Sir - In the course of his election speech as the new leader of Fine Gael, Leo Varadkar said he was proud to be elected as leader of the party of Collins, Griffith and Cosgrave.

Still sore about spear tackle that tainted New Zealand rugby 

I feel compelled to write this letter after reading the latest denial of any wrongdoing by New Zealand during the last Lions tour there in 2005, as reported by your correspondent Ruaidhri...