Villagers: Letters to the editor 2006-10-05

I am absolutely delighted to hear that the UEFA Cup Final will be held in the newly refurbished Lansdowne Road stadium in 2010 and that the UEFA chief executive Lars-Christer Olsson has suggested that the Under-21 European Championship could also be staged in Ireland with a final in Lansdowne Road.

Congratulations to the Football Association of Ireland, the Irish Rugby Football Union and the government, who managed to secure this great result. Hopefully, this will spark a renewed interest in domestic soccer here in Ireland in the likes of the Eircom League.

Also, hopefully this will give a boost to the boys, teenage and youth teams, many of them in deprived and working class areas, plodding away, day after day, week after week, often with very substandard facilities. These help to keep many kids away from crime and drugs. An example of which is Kilmore West Boys in Coolock in Dublin, who don't even have changing facilities for any of their teams despite years of lobbying and pressuring local councillors and TDs.

Paul Kinsella, Santry, Dublin 9

Democracy: the greatest love story

A long long time ago, when everyone loved democracy and nobody loved politicians, this made the politicians very sad and they cried out, "Will anybody love us for we need love more than anything?" And their prayers were answered because a group of people called CEOs said, "We will love you and vote for you and give you little presents, even when it is not your birthday or Christmas, but there is only one thing we ask in return."

"What is that?" asked the politicians.

"That you tell no one about our little friendship because if the people knew they might get very jealous and want presents for themselves."

"Ok," said the politicians.

And so their friendship blossomed and grew and they were happy until one day some bold person told the people about the secret friendship and as predicted the people were very cross about all the secrets and little presents, even when it was not anyone's birthday or Christmas, and the politicians had to pretend that they never knew the CEOs and the CEOs had to pretend they never knew the politicians and they had to stop calling at each others houses for an awfully long time and they were both very sad. But gradually the people forgot all about the whole thing because the people had awfully short memories at that time and the secret friendship resumed and went on and grew and it was called democracy and everybody loved it.

JOHN HANAMY, Milltown Road, Dublin 6

Asthma and Irish children: Government must act over asthma

I am disappointed by continued government neglect in relation to the quadrupling of asthma among Irish children, a disease which – according to a well-written book by Dr John McKenna, Natural Alternatives to Antibiotic (2003) – could easily be prevented by stopping the overuse of antibiotics given to children, especially those under the age of four.

The medical profession and its regulating body must take some responsibility for this serious growth in asthma, a very uncomfortable disease, although a lot better treated now with excellent inhalers.

Doctors now are all too willing to prescribe antibiotics for the smallest of ailments and parents also think their child won't get better
unless they are given an antibiotic.

The child suffers in all this.

Paul Doran, Clondalkin, Dublin 22

Responses to Meejit: Not wild on Meejit's Mooney comments

I have never written to any publication to defend RTÉ before and am highly unlikely to ever do so again. In my view, RTÉ current affairs has become the biggest self-protecting vested interest in the country and we are all the poorer for its poor quality.

However, the typically ill-informed comments by your contributor – calling him a journalist would be unfair to that profession – Harry Browne (Village 28 September) about RTÉ broadcaster Derek Mooney was a little hard to take.

Derek Mooney has probably done more to create an interest in the environment, and from that, hopefully an awareness of the need to change our political attitudes to this topic, than perhaps anyone else.

Not for the first time Harry Browne has let his outdated and peculiar view of world and Irish affairs demonstrate that student politics retained into adulthood is the enemy of real radical action and not its servant.

Councillor Dermot Lacey, Donnybrook, Dublin 4

Meejit missed RTÉ newsflash

In his media review (Village 14 September) on the subject of Mary Harney's resignation as Tánaiste, Harry Browne wrote: "If 'where you were' was RTÉ, you heard about it slightly, but significantly, later than if you were tuned to rival broadcasters. This fact was not lost on Today FM or Dublin's NewsTalk 106, which delivered the news of Harney's side-step a good half-hour before RTÉ did at 5pm." RTÉ Radio 1 did, in fact, broadcast a newsflash on the story at 4.30pm that day.

Carolyn Fisher, Senior Press Officer, RTÉ News and Current Affairs

EU expansion: EU membership should include test of loyalty

While Romania and Bulgaria have been given the green light of entry to the European Union from January 2007, I am wondering should there be a test of EU loyalty.

Before last Christmas, Romania agreed with Condoleezza Rice to permit the construction of four US military bases in Romania.

In March of this year, Bulgaria agreed with Condoleezza Rice to permit the construction of three US military bases in Bulgaria.

Surely, this could indicate some difficulty with their loyalty to Europe at a later stage. If, for example, the European Union was friendly with a country which was considered a hostile state by the United States, what would happen if the United States wished to take pre-emptive action against this state?

Could the United States ask Romania and Bulgaria to assist it? Would the EU object?

Peter Kennedy, Sutton, Dublin 13

Response to Paul Kinsella: An Post: deliver mail not art

Paul Kinsella (Villagers 28 September) wants to know where the praise is that should be heaped on An Post for issuing lenticular stamps to mark the Ryder Cup.

While it is always gratifying to be able to appreciate good art, the problem in this case is that its production is not An Post's primary function. Delivering mail is its primary function, on time and at a reasonable cost, and despite some moves in the right direction it is still struggling badly – especially in provincial areas – to get that right. I am sure users would be delighted to praise the stamps, as a significant added bonus, if only the core activity were excellent also.

Seamus McKenna, Dundrum, Dublin 14

Shell to Sea campaign: Dempsey's photo-op shallow and poorly timed

On 27 September the Irish Times published a picture of Daithí Ó Sé from TG4 and Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey sharing a joke, or maybe just acting for the cameras. I thought the photo was plain ridiculous, even though it was taken at the launch of a campaign for the more efficient use of energy. These PR-driven occasions are artificial and shallow. They make people look foolish.

However, what is annoying and insulting is that the photograph was taken on the same day the forces of Shell Oil, aided by the Garda, tried to push the legitimately protesting people of Rossport and Erris aside. In the Irish Times photo Dempsey smiles through it all.

Dempsey should go right back to the beginning of the Corrib Gas fiasco and begin completely open discussions. No secret documents. He should listen to the people of Erris, he should act according to the real meaning of the word "minister", that is, "to attend to the needs of".

I do not trust Shell. They need 40 or 50 acres for their proposed gas refinery; they already possess 400 acres and are reported to be looking for even more land. Why? What are their secret long-term plans? An awful oil refinery when the gas runs out?

In a recent judgement, the EU fined a number of giant oil companies a total of ?230m for illegal activities and over-pricing on the European bitumen market. Shell incurred the biggest fine, ?110m, due, in the EU's own words, to "persistent and ongoing infringments in this market despite repeated warnings and failure to cooperate with the inquiry into this matter". Is this the kind of multinational we want in this country?

I would like to see Daithí Ó Sé and other celebrities, especially those from rural and threatened areas, play a positive role in the Shell to Sea campaign. A role of support and solidarity.

SEÁN Ó RIAIN, Gairdíní Bhaile na Lobhar, Baile Átha Cliath

STATEMENT Let's end corruption in Irish politics

It is time to clean corruption out of Irish politics and focus on the real issues that are affecting people. The cosy relationships between politicians, developers and big business that engulfs the political elite in this country must end.

Bertie Ahern's receipt of money from wealthy businesspeople is nothing new. Politicians from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour have been up in front of the planning tribunals over their receipt of donations from wealthy developers.

The Irish political establishment reeks with corruption.

Politicians who are involved in corruption should be jailed. Corporate donations should be forbidden. Politicians should act according to the needs and wishes of the people rather than the demands emanating from their wealthy paymasters at the Galway Races fundraising tent. We need to reassert our democracy.

We need to sweep away the current political establishment and replace it with politicians and a system that would genuinely work on solving the real issues that affect the people of Ireland, such as inequality and the crisis in our public services. Along with corruption, the scandals that Ahern, FF and the PDs have caused are:

• a country with one of the biggest gaps between the rich and poor in Europe

• a housing crisis where many working people cannot afford to buy a home and are forced to work seven days a week just to pay for a mortgage

• a health service in crisis

• a lack of affordable childcare

• the privatisation of our national telecommunications infrastructure and our

national airline, and the break-up of many other public services

• the death of Irish neutrality as we allow Bush to use our airports for war

• huge commuting times due to a lack of public transport

• rising gas and energy prices because of the drive to privatise and the giveaway of our gas to Shell and other companies.

This is just a short summary of what Bertie Ahern and FF/PDs have given us. To their developer friends and businesspeople they have given unprecedented wealth and profits.

The corruption scandal engulfing Ahern should be the straw to break the camel's back.

The people of Ireland need to speak up and say, "No more". Ahern should resign and this government should go. Unfortunately, members of the alternative Fine Gael and Labour have also been linked to corruption and have repeatedly stated that in relation to key policy areas like public services, neutrality and tax, they will not do anything fundamentally different from the current government.

Those who want a real alternative need to stand up.

Rory Hearne, People Before Profit Alliance. www.people-before-profit.org