2 weeks Ago
It was disheartening recently to see a breakdown of civilised debate in our “meeting place” (the meaning of the word “Dáil”). Our Constitution has been amended 32 times, so surely it is a simple matter to change the rules in the Dáil with respect for all points of view and end the mayhem? John J May, Blessington, Co Wicklow Lowry holds the aces, so it’s time Taoiseach and Tánaiste stood up to him I note that Michael Lowry has given a flat “no” when asked if he would compromise on the issue of speaking rights. Who has given Mr Lowry this power? When are our Taoiseach and Tánaiste going to stand up to this nonsense? The old saying of “the tail wagging the dog” comes to mind.
M McDonnell, Address with editor It is disappointing to see Fianna Fáil TDs justify group’s speaking rights I am a lifelong Fianna Fail supporter. I was very pleased when Micheál Martin found himself in pole position to return to the Taoiseach’s office after the recent general election. However, few things have annoyed me more than the sound of second-string Fianna Fail TDs justifying the right of a Technical Group who have undertaken to support the Government “through thick and thin“ and then to address the Dáil from the opposition benches.
Frank Kehoe, Ferns, Co Wexford ‘The Late Late’ could have given more attention to the late, great Jon Kenny On last Saturday’s Late Late Show , guests Mary Kennedy, Mary McAleese and Pat Shortt were given adequate time (and good luck to them) to tell us about their current and future projects. A major disappointment, for me at least, was the scant time devoted to the late, great Jon Kenny – we had about 60 seconds of one of D’Unbelievables’ sketches featuring Jon. My mind straight away went back to that wonderful solo stand-up by Jon, also on The Late Late Show , where he described in hilarious terms his experiences after a christening.
An opportunity lost, surely ? Tom Gilsenan, Beaumont, Dublin 9 On Gaza, it’s best to recall what Archbishop Tutu had to say about injustice Kevin Kelly refers critically to “Ireland’s perceived one-sided support of Palestine” ( Irish Independent , Letters, February 3). However, we should remember the words of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who knew what he was talking about. He famously asserted “if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor”.
Raymond Deane, Dublin 7 President Higgins missed an opportunity to heal pain caused to Irish Jews Given the recent calls from some Irish citizens of Jewish descent for President Michael D Higgins to not address the National Holocaust Memorial Day service that took place in Dublin last week because of his comments on the Middle East situation, it was disappointing to hear him discuss these topics in his address. Mr Higgins’s address made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. It was a distraction from the purpose of the event, namely to remember the six million Jews who were murdered in Nazi concentration camps.
That the President did not concentrate on trying to heal the hurt his comments have caused to some Jewish people is a missed opportunity. This would have been viewed as a positive step towards promoting tolerance and respect for an often-overlooked minority in Ireland. Eamonn O’Hara, Manorcunningham, Co Donegal Forget gender quotas –grassroots politics will get more women involved Fionnán Sheahan highlights a lack of women in Irish politics (‘Taoiseach patently doesn’t believe a lack of women in Irish politics is a problem’ – Irish Independent , February 3).
The reality of the situation is that we have brought in gender quotas that have been ineffective, so we need to explore other avenues if we are going to encourage more women to enter politics. The reason that more women were not appointed to government posts was that not enough of them were elected, so parties need to find a way to recruit more women. I believe the majority of women who get elected do so on merit and they do not need gender quotas, which critics argue are unfair.
We need more women involved at grassroots level and we must ensure they are fully engaged so they can make their mark. Thomas Garvey, Claremorris, Co Mayo And another thing: I’ve noticed a word being dropped in our language Why have we suddenly decided to go the US route, dropping the conjunction “and” from advertising, media reports and even everyday speech? (“Was four hundred ninety-nine, now 20pc off”). If we are to take this trend to its logical conclusion, would “sugar spice” be just one nice thing? Would Thelma Louise have been one person? And then it struck me – perhaps we are preparing to speak fluent “American” ahead of a possible St Patrick’s Day White House visit? However, for that we’ll probably need a wing AND a prayer.
Peter Declan O’Halloran, Belturbet, Co Cavan Having elected Trump, American voters are now reaping what they sowed President Donald Trump’s spiteful imposition of tariffs on countries like Canada, Mexico and China, with the very real possibility of the EU being included, is a case of “the lunatics running the asylum”. Many economists and commentators are saying it will raise prices, spark inflation, force interest rates up and lower growth. Trump and his cabal are putting a gun to other world economies’ heads, but ultimately slowing down growth and leading to major job losses in the US.
While Trump acknowledged some Americans “will feel some pain”, he and his elite group of billionaires are unlikely to. Sadly, this is the price that the American people who voted for him will now have to pay. You reap what you sow, and in this case putting isolationist and narcissistic Trump into power looks set to spectacularly backfire on voters in the coming months.
Christy Galligan, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
