2 weeks Ago
The office of Ceann Comhairle is akin to that of a judge – it has to be fair, independent and impartial. It should never have been used as a bargaining chip in government formation talks. Whoever came up with the idea, and anyone who agreed with it, has little understanding that there are some things off-limits that cannot be traded.
Anyone holding a position that involves arm’s-length fairness can never be seen to have a hint of bias. The old legal maxim “nobody can be a judge in their own cause” springs to mind. Perception is everything.
The law must not only be done, but be seen to be done. It’s basic stuff. Imagine having a referee in an All-Ireland final whose appointment was part of a deal with one of the counties involved.
I have no doubt the Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy is a very decent, professional politician. She could have been appointed in a similar way to previous holders of the office, without her appointment being tarnished in government formation talks. Her position has now been undermined.
If you look at the US Supreme Court, there are no doubt excellent legal minds overseeing its cases, but they are appointed by the party in power – so there is a view that they are in the sway of whoever appointed them. The hullabaloo in the Dáil is just a symptom of anger at a deal done behind closed doors. Those who were involved in the deal are the culprits for all the chaos that has followed since.
They should have known better. You can’t unring the bell. The damage is done.
Joseph Kiely, Letterkenny, Co Donegal Tariffs threat should be to the fore in Dáil, not petty squabbling and time-wasting I would like to paraphrase comments made recently by the economist Dan O’Brien who has said that “while the economic crash in 2008 blew the roof off the house, Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs could pull out the foundation of the Irish economy”. I also note Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe’s Prime Time remarks underlining the scale of the turmoil we could face. I therefore find myself becoming increasingly annoyed with the opposition and its recent behaviour in the Dáil over speaker rights.
This egregious conduct is happening as the country faces the economic wrath of the Trump administration We need to see all our politicians working as one, as opposed to seeing such puerile conduct being exhibited by our public representatives. There is nothing to be gained in fiddling while Rome burns. John O’Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary Trump tyranny is far from a joke – we could be stuck with him for the long haul We had hope speculation about a third term in office for US president Donald Trump was just a bad joke, but there it is in the papers.
Many may still hope it is just another technique to distract people from the disastrous stock market news. There is also the troubling possibility he might put up surrogates – any of his children, who could become president in name, while he rules from the throne at Mar-a-Lago. Don’t laugh, it’s not funny and those that know their history will be able to recount numerous rulers who were guided by a “counsellor”.
Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia A look at the polls tells us immigration is an issue public is concerned about With regard to Jenny Maguire’s opinion piece on immigration (‘Why we must be vocal and do our best to stand up to anti-immigrant extremists’, Irish Independent , March 31), I’d like to point out polls indicate 80pc of people strongly believe that we have enough migrants arriving here. Obviously we need migrants for employment in healthcare, hospitality and other services. But it’s the illegal migrants arriving here who are the cause for concern.
In my opinion, Ms Maguire is completely out of touch with the general public’s feelings on this matter. Frank Dowling, Portmarnock, Dublin Irish consumers should have been protected from mid-contract price hikes The practice of mid-contract price increases that most telecom companies are implementing on their customers this month has been raised routinely over the last number of years, not only by the Irish Independent ’s Charlie Weston, but also by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), which is the State’s consumer watchdog, as well as the telecoms regulator (the Commission for Communications Regulation) and other consumer journalists. Mr Weston reported that the CPPC has written to the newly appointed Media Minister Patrick O’Donovan seeking changes to the law to stop these telecoms firms hiking prices mid-contract.
The British consumer organisation Which? has, after a long campaign, succeeded in having these unfair mid-term contract telecom price hikes banned in the UK from the beginning of this year for being uncompetitive and anti-consumer. If our own state consumer watchdog and other concerned organisations have previously raised many concerns about these contracts being bad for consumers, what does it take for our civil servants to act so that Irish consumers are treated and protected the same as our British counterparts? David Gordon, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 How a teenage saint could be the Church’s perfect role model of masculinity Stephen O’Hara’s insightful letter is a reminder that the world will get its first millennial saint later this month (‘Respectful and tolerant public-speaking students put politicians to shame’, Irish Independent , Letters, March 31). Carlo Acutis, who died from leukaemia in 2006, aged just 15, will be canonised on April 27 by Pope Francis during the Jubilee of Teenagers.
Born in London in 1991 to Italian parents, Carlo grew up in Milan and seems to have captured the hearts and minds of Catholics with his veneration of the Eucharist during his short life. A normal teenager by most accounts, with a love for computers and his PlayStation, he helped create a website for his parish and school emblazoned with the tag line: “The Eucharist is my way to Heaven.” With the world looking for positive role models of masculinity, the Catholic Church may be on to something with Carlo Acutis in his Nike trainers and jeans.
Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry.
