A chara, – It is sad to read reports that the position of Ceann Comhairle may become involved as a bargaining item in the current government formation talks. The position of Ceann Comhairle is one of our great constitutional offices of State.
As the chairperson of the Dáil, the Ceann Comhairle is the custodian of the speaking rights of every person elected to it and, as such, should be above party politics.
As a constitutional office holder it is also vital that the Ceann Comhairle be competent in the two official languages of the State. A total of 40 fluent Irish speakers, including 13 newcomers, have been elected to the new Dáil. Many of these deputies have declared their intention to speak in Irish in the chamber on a frequent basis. It should be beyond question that the chairperson of the Dáil should be able to accommodate its bilingual speakers.
The present Ceann Comhairle, as well as the present Leas-Cheann Comhairle, have fulfilled their role with great distinction over the past number of years. If the present incumbents are to be replaced, it is imperative that their successors are people who are capable of performing to the same high standards. – Is mise,
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JOHN GLENNON,
Hollywood,
Co Wicklow.
A chara, – In the article “Knotty Issues yet to arise as FF and FG seek third leg of government stool” (Saturday, December 14th), we are told that Verona Murphy, Seán Ó Fearghaíl and John McGuinness are all seeking the role of “speaker”. Unless one of them has been elected without our knowledge to the parliament of a neighbouring country, it is unlikely that any of them will be elected to the role of “speaker” in Leinster House as the position doesn’t exist.
The Oireachtas website states that “The Ceann Comhairle is the chairperson of Dáil Éireann.” Knotty issue indeed. – Le meas,
EOGHAN Mac CORMAIC,
Cill Chríost,
Gaillimh.
The perfect Christmas
Sir,– Diarmuid Ferriter’s comments (“How to have yourself the perfect Christmas”, Opinion, December 13th) are hilarious, as he punctures the pomposity of the current advice of so-called experts on how to have the perfect Christmas. To curate once meant organising an exhibition in an art gallery, perhaps. Now we are told that what constitutes “a good tablescape is a matter of intrinsic, lifelong importance, curating a table that is not only impactful but deeply personal”.
For €500 we can rely on the Multi-Styler and Dryer lest we forget the importance of the perfect Christmas hairstyling. He lists other marketing strategies directed at us.
I think the absurdity of it all is revealed in the exhortation of the expert “to reference the overall theme of your home’s decor or to branch out to a complimentary look”. A misspelling or a Freudian slip? – Yours etc,
EITHNE Mac FADDEN,
Carrigart,
Co Donegal.
Ryanair’s lack of organisation
Sir, – Myself and my husband had the misfortune to be travelling from Gatwick to Dublin on Saturday, December 7th in the wake of Storm Darragh and as it transpired we had the double misfortune to be travelling with Ryanair.
On reaching the airport it became obvious that flights were delayed as gate numbers were not posted and our flight, among other Ryanair flights, was eventually cancelled. The only point of contact for information was the airline desk where there was a 90m long queue, consisting of all abandoned travellers, confused and frustrated about the lack of communication.
The Ryanair helpline was closed (in the middle of what might be considered a crisis) and the app was useless. The whole experience was a shambles.
I am by profession a teacher, and recently had to listen to the insulting comments of Michael O’Leary about not employing teachers “to go out and get things done”. In the light of what happened under Ryanair’s watch I think he should reconsider his statement.
Teachers, in general, are good planners and good communicators, especially when a crisis is flagged. It appears that Ryanair had no plan for the fallout of Storm Darragh. But a teacher or two might have come in handy!
Unfortunately, the weather has become unpredictable but the Ryanair “no care” attitude is consistent.
However, it would be prudent for Mr “Know-All” O’Leary to stop criticising other professions in the light of the incompetence of his own organisation to plan or communicate to customers. – Yours, etc,
MAIRÉAD NÍ CHIARUÁIN,
Dún Droma,
BÁC 14.
An Post service
Sir, – I sent some Christmas cards this week and to my amazement one of the receivers told me that the card had reached them without a stamp. I forgot to put a stamp on that one, but An Post delivered it anyway.
I don’t recommend your readers try this at home (send cards without stamps), but I would like to thank the nice people at An Post for this gesture.
I moved to this country 20 years ago and this is the kind, humorous Ireland that I have experienced many times over.
Long may it last! – Yours, etc,
DR ENIDA FRIEL,
Castleknock,
Dublin 15.
The Late Late sleep show
Sir, – Freya Twyford (Letters, December 13th) advocates for the Late Late Toy Show to start at the earlier time of 8pm as her mom fell asleep towards the end of this year’s show. I fell asleep at the start as I tend to do any night I tune in to the Late Late Show. – Yours, etc,
JOSEPH MACKEY,
Athlone,
Co Westmeath.
Appealing to the electorate
Sir, – If most politicians are teachers and the average politician is innumerate, calculate the appeal of maths teachers to the electorate. – Yours, etc,
COLIN WALSH,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.
Irish Naval Service
Sir, – For many months there have been reports of a shortage of crew in the Irish Naval Service resulting in the difficulty of getting more than a single ship available to put to sea at any one time. In addition, it now appears that even that ship will not be able to fire her gun due to a lack of personnel available to service the weapon (“Irish Naval ships may have to deploy unarmed as weapons unit down to single technician”, December 13th).
Apart from the drugs ship MV Matthew last year, it appears that it was 40 or 50 years ago since the last engagements. In view of the considerable cost of these weapons and their maintenance, I wonder if they are actually needed. I think the Army would be perfectly capable of dealing with any small arms used by the ship’s crew.
As part of the annual Spanish Armada commemorations, the Spanish Navy sent over a ship called the Carnota to Sligo last September. She was formerly a supply ship serving oil platforms in the North Sea and bought second hand for €14 million (just over twice the price of one of our large 76mm guns).
This ship can carry out fishery protection, fight marine pollution, search and rescue operations and, with her dynamic position system, is ideal to support diving teams. This vessel has a good cargo capacity as well as a huge towing ability.
Where do we get the personnel to crew such a vessel?
Ireland has plenty of qualified and experienced merchant mariners working on such vessels in the North Sea and worldwide. Give them similar conditions such as month on, month off and there would be plenty of applicants. It would not be necessary to live near the Naval Base in Cork because crew could join and leave the vessel from anywhere in Ireland.
The Norwegians operate their fishery patrol ships in this manner as they have to compete with the large offshore sector. This system would also allow existing Naval personnel gain useful merchant ship experience and qualifications.
In short, what I am proposing is a Coast Guard system somewhat similar to the American model. If we don’t change our operating methods, we may end up with no Naval ships at sea. – Yours, etc,
H A Mc GOWAN (Captain),
Kinlough,
Co Leitrim.
Inappropriate Christmas gifts
Sir, – A survey carried out by the National Lottery Regulator found that almost 30 per cent of shops failed to deny the sale of a scratch card to underaged mystery shoppers. This news prompted the regulator of the National Lottery, Carol Boate, to urge adults not to give scratch cards to under-18s this Christmas.
This survey also underscores the need for tougher measures to curb sales to minors in retail outlets. The reason lottery tickets are over-18 products is that we know from the ESRI, (Economic and Social Research Institute) that childhood experiences of gambling increases a child’s risk of developing a gambling addiction later in life.
It’s important to understand that gamblers are not born, they are made.
There’s a responsibility on adults to be mindful that these scratch cards are not appropriate gifts for children. I know scratch cards are hugely popular; they are a very easy gift to pop into a card. But we all need to think twice about what we gift children this Christmas. – Yours, etc,
JOHN O’BRIEN,
Clinical psychotherapist,
Clonmel,
Co Tipperary.
Rehabilitation for brain conditions
Sir, – It is a reality that a growing number of us will develop a neurological condition at some point in our lifetime. One in six people throughout Ireland are living with these conditions of the brain and nervous system, which now represent the most significant cause of disability and ill health worldwide.
Neurorehabilitation services represent a lifeline for people living with the impact of neurological disability, their right to such rehabilitation enshrined within the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.
However, six years on from the publication of a national implementation framework for neurorehabilitation, many of its recommendations have still not been implemented.
A national audit of rehabilitation beds published by the HSE in September showed that Ireland has a 58 per cent shortfall in neurorehabilitation beds, with more than 170 beds needed nationwide.
Vital specialist community neurorehabilitation teams are absent in an arc running from the northeast (including within the catchment areas of the National Neuroscience Centre in Beaumont and the National Trauma Centre in the Mater hospital) through the midlands and down the southeast. The lack of properly funded services for residential care, vocational rehabilitation and home care continues to deny people the opportunities and choices to live full lives after a neurological diagnosis.
The Neurological Alliance of Ireland, the national umbrella made up of 40 national neurological charities, is calling on the new government to honour the pre-election commitments made by all the main political parties in their manifestos to fully implement the National Neurorehabilitation Strategy. – Yours, etc,
MAGDALEN ROGERS,
Executive director,
Neurological Alliance of Ireland.
Data centres
Sir, – The recent reporting that Ireland’s increased importation of electricity from the UK has helped lower our emissions should make us wonder about whether current national emission targets are a fit-for-purpose means of assessing progress in lowering carbon emissions globally.
Our use of energy should clearly be the determining factor, not the location of generation. If we built a large coal-fired electricity generator in Armagh to supply the Republic’s needs, would that help us achieve our targets?
It seems clear that the current targets are based on where the carbon generating activity is located or produced as opposed to where the activity or output is consumed. This has considerable implications for data centres in Ireland.
Despite our possible need to store in the cloud 2012 photos of Uncle Paddy drunk in front of a Christmas tree, the Irish national user demand for data centres will be a minuscule percentage of the country’s data centre capacity.
Data centres in Ireland tend to be regional or even global hubs of technology businesses where actual usage of the data centres is in a variety of other countries. Why then are Ireland’s emission targets loaded with the user needs of other countries? Is it a case that it is simply easier to measure nationally produced targets as opposed to national usage targets? This has a profound implication for evaluating data centres in Ireland.
If we are concerned about the energy usage of data centres, then one EU or global strategy for data centres could be to start reversing the usage trend of data centres. Storing our files in the cloud, software as a service and a myriad of other uses of data centres could be banned at EU or global level.
It seems unlikely the EU will go in that direction. More likely, we need to accept that data centres are required in a technological world and decide how we should configure them.
Would we have little mini-data centres in every village across Europe so there is a fair spread of these carbon emitting entities? That might not be efficient but would it be fair?
Would hot countries in southern Europe get their fair share of data centres despite the need to consume a lot of energy in keeping the centres quite cold?
I am not sure if Ireland’s temperate oceanic climate is the optimum place to locate data centres in Europe to minimise energy consumption of the Continent but I suspect it is among the better places.
Does Europe need data centres and, if it does, where should they be located to minimise European emissions as opposed to the micro detail of the national emission targets of a small island country that just might be a good place to locate them? – Yours, etc,
Dr ED DELANY
Co Meath.
Coffee price hikes
Sir, – My morning cup of coffee is going to go up in price to new highs. We will just have to pay up as usual. I just wonder how much of the rise is going to the people who actually pick and process the crop and how much ends up in traders’ bonuses. – Yours, etc,
JOHN K ROGERS,
Westmeath.
Our ideal future
Sir, – “Ireland’s ideal future is to be half-American, half-European” (David McWilliams, December 14th). How about half-American, half-European and half-Irish, considering how we, reportedly, struggle with maths and fractions? – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL KEEGAN,
Booterstown.