Villagers: Letters to the editor 2006-10-12
Recently there has been a lot of media coverage regarding the financial and other costs of marriage breakdown for one high-profile father. However, the consequences are even more serious for men of more limited resources.
Over the past 10 years, Amen has been contacted by thousands of fathers who have been practically ruined by the family law courts. These men, in the main, find themselves relegated to living in substandard bedsits and in some cases are left homeless. Many live lives of quiet desperation simply because their marriages fail.
They effectively become "beasts of burden" or, as one man described himself, "a wallet" or "a hole in the wall". The mistreatment of such fathers has far-reaching implications for society and will return to haunt future generations.
The current system for dealing with relationship break-up damages all family members, especially children.
The courts lack the expertise to deal with these matters, and the continual deferral of decisions and rehearing of issues squander the financial resources of families. The only hope a man can have at a hearing for separation is that he will get an enlightened, unbiased, experienced judge to hear the case.
These issues are so serious for families that they should not be subject to the prejudices and vagaries of individual judges. At present it is men who lose their homes, their children and the bulk of the family finances. The loss and pain should be shared equally by men and women.
It is high time the government stopped banishing fathers to the margins of society and devised more humane methods of dealing with marriage breakdown.
Surely this inhuman injustice should be at the top of the political agenda for the next election.
Mary T Cleary, Founder/coordinator of Amen, Railway Street, Navan
Legalisation of fireworks: Ban only adds fuel to the fireworks
I believe that fireworks should be legalised in Ireland. That way they could be sold in shops under strict supervision and no substandard fireworks would be sold. It would be much safer for the kids using them who have to risk life and limb at the moment buying fireworks on the street, often of a poor and downright dangerous state.
Also, it would remove the criminality and illegality currently surrounding the sale of fireworks.
Plus, it would be great to have more official Halloween bonfires and fireworks displays for the kids like they have in Ballymun.
Paul Kinsella, Santry, Dublin 9
Privatisation: Failing to heed lessons of the past
The 45,000 customers of Smart Telecom are the latest casualties of the crazy decision to privatise Telecom Éireann.
Before privatisation, through state investment, we had one of the most advanced digitally-switched telecoms systems in Europe. Now, due to lack of investment, we have to endure one of the most backward and expensive. A private monopoly controls the landlines and exchanges and has delayed unbundling local loops to allow access to others. The net result is that we have one of the lowest penetrations of broadband in the EU, with worrying implications for our future economic success (when the property boom fizzles out).
On the mobile side, Eircell was sold off for a song at a time when wireless communication was about to take off. Now we have an effective duopoly with the highest mobile charges in Europe, and pre-paid users in border areas and those crossing the border still being hit with massive roaming charges.
The "free market" ideologues in Fianna Fáil, the Progressive Democrats and Fine Gael (and their Labour allies?) who are pushing privatisation have failed to learn the lessons of the Telecom Éireann fiasco.
Dessie Ellis, Councillor.
Response to Dermot Lacey: Browned of with Lacey's vitriol
It's a fact of journalistic life in some publications that they will print letters abusive of their own writers beyond what they'd normally publish about someone else. The practice displays, among other things: their openness to criticism; their belief that those privileged enough to dish it out should be prepared to take it; and their faith that the writers in question won't sue the hand that feeds them.
Thus, for the second time (Villagers 5 October), a venomous attack on me by Councillor Dermot Lacey has appeared in these pages. This arbiter of genuine radicalism is entitled to his view that I espouse "outdated and peculiar views" amounting to "student politics". But my tolerance buckles when Lacey writes that "calling [me] a journalist would be unfair to that profession" – a profession that, after all, includes Geraldo Rivera and Barry Egan alongside John Pilger and Anna Politkovskaya.
I don't consider the label "journalist" as necessarily a badge of honour any more than, say, "councillor". But after nearly 20 years of work – featuring, for example, tight deadlines, reluctant sources, office politics, frustrated freedom-of-information requests, union dues, uncooperative technology, corrections and clarifications, long days on the phone and the road, long nights at the keyboard, the behind-the-scenes grind of making publications appear, countless stories in print, online and on-air, and now bringing students through the conventions and mechanics of the craft – no councillor is going tell me I can't wear it.
Harry Browne, Dublin Institute of Technology, Aungier Street, Dublin 2
Charlie Bird and Bertie: Charlie is away with the birds
For nearly four weeks one of the biggest political upheavals is occurring in this country. Yet, the chief news correspondent of RTÉ is silent on this matter during this period.
However, Charlie Bird did appear on The Late Late Show to discuss his book on his career as a reporter.
How inconvenient and most inconsiderate it was for Bertie Ahern to cause this current upheaval just when Charlie is preparing for the launch of his book, which is presumably why Bertie was not at the launch.
Peter Kennedy, Sutton, Dublin 13
Bertie's 'good name': One law for the rich and powerful...
Some may sympathise with the Taoiseach in his present dilemma, seemingly caused by the press 'leaks' over his past alleged wrongdoing. I can fully appreciate his efforts to clear his good name as I have been struggling vainly with the state for nearly 40 years to clear mine.
Perhaps he will now apply the same quality of mercy he seeks from the Irish people to my family and I?
In 1997, I was disgraced by a secret army leak to the press, used to damage my sister Adi Roche's presidential election campaign. My family were mercilessly pillioried and I was labelled a terrorist in public. The impression was given that I had been retired as an officer after "due process" and because of so-called terroristic associations. This is a lie and was shown to be so in Don Mullan's well-researched book, Speaking Truth to Power.
Despite a 2005 High Court finding of "unfair procedures" in my case, Ahern has so far refused to either review it or clear my good name. One law for the rich and the powerful still it seems.
Donal de Róiste, Baile an Chollaigh, Co Chorcaí
Eoin Ó Murchú: Ó Murchú is losing his touch
I am sorry to say I think Eoin Ó Murchú is losing his touch. Heretofore his interventions were incisive, original and to the point. Lately he has become partisan and over the top. In his column (Village 5 October) he calls the controversy over payments to the Taoiseach when he was Minister for Finance a "political farce". He then indulges in a rant on the role of the editor of the Irish Times in the affair. Lastly, he implies that the public interest is not served by a debate on the integrity of those who hold high office.
Democratic rule cannot operate if those who are elected to high office are not held accountable by those who elected them. This most basic of issues, highlighted by the present controversy, is ignored in Ó Murchú's article.
Democracy is designed to protect the weak and the vulnerable from the depredations of the arrogant and the strong. It is designed to protect the rights of the many ordinary people from the machinations of the few privileged insider elite. It is part of the human predicament that power corrupts. That means all of us should have access to the knowledge that enables us to judge the behaviour of those who purport to exercise power on our behalf at the highest level of government. Ensuring that that happens is not "political farce", as Eoin Ó Murchú would have us believe, but an important role of the free press.
Indeed the present controversy highlights the importance of the free press, and specifically the Irish Times, in providing this knowledge and in raising questions on our behalf. The right – a right declared by Eoin Ó Murchú as "humbug" – to ask questions is derived from the fundamental rights of all individuals in a democracy to hold those elected to high office to account.
When information on this issue became public, however, the Taoiseach said it was a "sinister plot" and told the rest of us it was none of our business. Far from being a "political farce", as Eoin Ó Murchú asserts, this whole affair has thrown valuable light on how an insider elite would like to keep secret the actions of those who hold power on our behalf.
Anthony Leavy, Sutton, Dublin 13
US justice: Why is the US harbouring a terrorist?
Luis Posada Carriles is a convicted terrorist wanted on 73 counts of murder in the first degree for his part in masterminding the bombing of a civilian airliner off Barbados 30 years ago this week. The USA has refused to extradite him. They have failed to prosecute him. They are protecting him. Why?
The plane took off from Venezuela and blew up in mid-air off the coast of Barbados. The Venezuelans authorities are convinced they have enough evidence to convict Posada on all charges. They have even agreed not to apply the death penalty.
The USA refuses to extradite him in contravention of the 1922 US/Venezuelan extradition agreement, the 1997 UN Convention on the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, the 2000 UN Convention on International Civil Aviation and the principals of international law. The US authorities failure to prosecute the terrorist, given that there is already enough evidence in the declassified National Security Archives of the USA to indict, is in contravention of the US constitution.
Why won't they charge him? Simple: he was a CIA agent. And he has threatened to talk if they prosecute him.
George HW Bush recruited him into the CIA, his son "W" will pardon him. He who harbours a terrorist is a terrorist. QED.
Simon McGuinness. More For further information contact the Free the Miami Five Campaign on 01 8382526
STATEMENT: Mental health must be put on the political agenda
On World Mental Health Day, the Irish Mental Health Coalition launched its web-based action centre, where people concerned about the neglect of mental -health services can raise their voices in the run up to the next general election.
This campaign aims to put mental health on the political and public agendas.
At www.imhc.ie people can email a campaign message directly to the TDs in their local area or to members of Seanad Éireann. They can email their MEP asking them to add their support to the campaign.
Mental health has not been given the priority by government that it deserves. The coalition can tell government that it is a rights issue but people on the ground need to make it a political issue.
The Irish Mental Health Coalition was established by Amnesty International (Irish Section), Bodywhys (the Eating Disorders Association of Ireland), GROW in Ireland (a world community mental-health movement), the Irish Advocacy Network and Schizophrenia Ireland to advocate for people's rights to the highest attainable standard of mental health and mental-health services. Since its launch in June 2006, it has been running a nationwide campaign aimed at improving and prioritising mental-health services in Ireland. The Coalition's manifesto for change on the website catalogues some of the problems.
Due to the inadequacy of mental health services, people continue to fall through the cracks. So much needs to be done. But this will only happen if those with the power to improve mental health services feel the public pressure.
The coalition welcomes the new national mental-health policy published in January, A Vision for Change. Seeing that it is implemented will be the cornerstone of the coalition's agenda and people can add their voices through the website.
We are asking people to join in our call to all political representatives and election candidates to make a public commitment that they will work towards improving mental health. One-in-four people will experience a mental health problem. With appropriate and timely supports, people can, and do, recover. But when many reach out for help this is not what they meet.
Government investment in mental health makes social and economic sense. It is in everyone's interest to make government listen. Organisations can also register their support for the campaign.
More www.imhc.ie
Garda corruption: Gort is the latest chapter in Garda fiction
Once again we are meant to believe the Garda version of a siege – and naturally they will again have an enquiry by themselves into themselves.
This time they ensured the media were completely excluded from the crime scene at Gort, ostensibly for their own safety and protection. Perhaps in future we can have the media embedded in the force.
After Abbeylara, Donegal, etc, etc, another shooting of a citizen gives me no confidence or basis on why I should accept this tainted police force's version of events.
Keith Nolan, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim
Anna Politkovskaya: Who will stand up to Putin?
The assassination of the well-known Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya is to be condemned by all right-thinking people, but unfortunately the Russian dictator Putin doesn't listen... Is there anybody willing to stand up to this new Tzar of Russia?
Paul Doran, Clondalkin, Dublin 22
RTÉ's Gort documentary: New Ireland, forgetful hostess
While Jack Straw politely tugs at the veils of Muslim women, Ireland sambas her hostess trolley to a new Brazilian beat. It's been an odd week. As someone who regularly visits Vila Fabril (Brazil), I was heartened to hear of RTÉ One's Ireland's Little Brazil (5 October 2006) taking a look at the Brazilian migrant in Ireland. Fahy and Bleahan's coverage of this community is timely but falls short of giving us the balanced overview we should rightly come to expect of an RTÉ News and Current Affairs documentary. Stories I have heard as filmmaker and research scholar – both here and in Brazil – have bordered on the hair-raising, and cut a very different cloth to the endless expressions of "feliz" (happy) conveyed by Brazilians interviewed for this programme. Its view from Brazil somehow rings hollow. Are there really 20,000 Brazilians currently in Ireland? And who were these characters introducing us to Vila Fabril where this all started out from? The programme hints at a darker side to this phenomenon but vague comparisons to former hiring fairs can only leave us tantalized. Parallels to our own history of emigration run deep and questions remained unanswered as to how these migrants – many of whom arrive as skilled meat workers – have been recruited by agents in Brazil. What promises have been made and what working conditions and lodgings greet them on arrival in this country? Such questions appear to have been quietly sidelined in favour of a feelgood television hour. Does this represent a new policy in our national broadcaster's output? Or simply reflect a version of New Ireland as hostess flashing a welcoming smile, her eyes blank with amnesia?
JO NEYLIN, Sandymount, Dublin 4