Sir, – Dr Mike Ryan, who was executive director of the World Health Organisation’s health emergencies programme through the height of the pandemic, is always worth listening to, given his compassion, wisdom and courage, both in word and deed.
He stated at a recent conference in Dublin (“Pandemic school closure ‘hugely detrimental’, says Ryan,” September 12th) that lockdown was never recommended by the WHO, but instead it advocated targeted measures. Children could not access schools for prolonged periods in Ireland and elsewhere during lockdowns with unfortunate consequences.
However, governments were faced with the need to take quick decisions with incomplete information in anticipation of a public health tsunami.
I well recall the images from China and northern Italy of health services in total chaos, overwhelmed by the number of cases among both the public and healthcare staff.
RM Block
At a meeting of colleagues to try to plan a hospital response to the impending pandemic, and socially distancing for the first time, I looked around the room and wondered how many of us would not make it through the crisis ahead.
The priorities were to save lives and flatten the curve, ensuring that health services could cope with acutely ill patients with Covid-19 and other serious life-threatening conditions.
In Ireland, we knew that the failure to invest in more acute hospital beds over the years, including critical care beds, might come to haunt us, given we already had little spare capacity.
Even now, as also reported in your newspaper last week (“Two-thirds of public hospitals at unsafe bed occupancy level,” September 10th), bed occupancy levels are near 100 per cent and sometimes higher such as in University Hospital Limerick (114 per cent) and St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin (111.4 per cent).
That level of pressure on services allows for no flexibility and compromises safe patient care at any time.
Decisions were made during the pandemic that, in retrospect, had unintended adverse consequences such as among school children and the elderly.
Nonetheless, these were made in good faith and in the absence of what we now know about the virus, its patterns of spread, and the societal consequences of lockdowns.
We need to learn from all this and avoid such consequences in the future through a more nuanced approach to infection prevention and control measures.
We also need to ensure that we do not forget what we got right and why – for example, the high levels of vaccine uptake among the general public.
Hopefully, the Covid-19 evaluation that is ongoing will help us all to learn from the pandemic so that we can better prepare for a similar occurrence in the future.
That process must recognise and acknowledge that the decisions taken at the time were informed by what was known then and not now, and were often taken under huge pressure, given the extraordinary pace of events.
We also need to ensure that we have the bed capacity to adequately meet current needs as soon as possible. This will also help us deal with the challenges presented by a future pandemic.
Greater bed capacity would help deliver a more flexible and targeted response. – Yours, etc,
HILARY HUMPHREYS,
Emeritus professor of
Clinical Microbiology,
Royal College of Surgeons
in Ireland,
Dublin.
Constitution and inheritance tax
Sir, – Deirdre Quinn’s assertion that inheritance tax is “contrary to the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights” is a bold one that surely requires testing (Letters, September 15th).
We are lucky in Ireland that anyone can go to the High Court and assert their constitutional rights with only a relatively small fee incurred in lodging the papers.
If unsuccessful in the High Court, you can appeal to the Court of Appeal and/or Supreme Court.
If those fail, and you have a strong argument on European Convention grounds, you can then lodge a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights.
If any person is truly concerned about lawfulness of our rules on capital acquisitions tax – or inheritance tax, as many people refer to it – they are free to issue proceedings in the courts and have their rights upheld.
As for the argument on how little the tax in question actually yields for the exchequer, it is crucial to say that is not the primary function of the tax.
Like tax on cigarettes, the main purpose is to discourage, rather than bring in money to the State’s coffers. Inheritance tax is intended to limit the unethical accumulation of mass wealth, and encourage an ethos of working for your wealth.
Ultimately, at its heart, the argument against inheritance tax is simply that a person wants another person to obtain vast sums of money or assets completely unhindered without having to work for it.
In a world sinking deeper and deeper into a pool of greed, inheritance tax must stay as even a small counter to that. – Yours, etc,
TOMÁS HENEGHAN,
Dublin 3.
Motorcycling and cardio fitness
Sir, –In your Overheard column (September 13th) you report Patrick Collison of Stripe on artificial intelligence as saying: “I see writing as a way to structure one’s own thoughts, and I don’t think you can outsource that to the LLM (Large Language Model) any more than you can outsource cardio fitness to a motorcycle.”
As an 82-year-old who rides a 1200cc motorcycle for pleasure I’m reluctant to correct someone as bright as him.
But a quick question to AI confirms my own experience backed by medical opinion which shows motorcycling benefits strength training, stress relief, mental alertness, coordination and balance, and has cardiovascular benefits as questioned above.
I expect these qualities to enable me to ride my motorcycle through the gates of Áras an Uachtaráin on my 100th birthday to collect the centenarian bounty (currently ¤2,540) from the president. I may even use it to buy a larger bike. – Yours, etc,
NICHOLAS KOUMARIANOS,
Dalkey,
Dublin.
Mike Murphy interview
Sir, – I thoroughly enjoyed Róisín Ingle’s recent interview with Mike Murphy. It was a joy to read Mike’s reflections on his remarkable career and his thoughtful musings on life. His personable style – still so familiar and resonant – brought back a wave of fond memories. (“Mike Murphy: It should have been the RTÉ payments scandal, not the Ryan Tubridy payments scandal,” September 13th).
In particular, I was reminded of my own family’s appearance on Murphy’s Micro Quiz-M back in the 1980s. It was a moment of great excitement in our household, as we faced Sylvester, the question-setting computer, who seemed impossibly futuristic at the time.
Mike’s warmth, wit and easy rapport made the experience unforgettable, and it’s heartening to see that same charm still shining through in his conversation with Róisín.
Thank you for sharing this lovely piece. It was lovely to read something that feels both nostalgic and fresh at the same time. – Yours, etc,
DAVE O’SULLIVAN,
Athgarvan,
Co Kildare.
Doing porridge
Sir, – My breakfast consists of diced pear and kiwi, covered with a layer of oats the night before, then microwaved with milk in the morning, drizzled with blueberries. I used do this at 850 watts for 2½ minutes until a friend insisted it needs 3½ minutes.
She was right. Now I have to get up a minute earlier every morning.
Thanks, Bernie. – Yours, etc,
LIAM STENSON,
Galway.
Pulling the wool
Sir, – While travelling home on the train one evening, I was sitting beside a man who was snoring very loudly. I was busy knitting and at one stage I had to break a piece of wool.
In doing so, I inadvertently elbowed the snoring man. He opened his eyes, said “sorry” and fell back asleep. I got the “thumbs up” from my fellow passengers. – Yours, etc,
MOIRA CARDIFF,
Balbriggan,
Co Dublin.
Lifting the cap, and taxis
Sir, – How disappointing to hear of the Government’s plan to scrap the cap at Dublin Airport.
Given that Ireland’s carbon emissions from aviation are already increasing at a time of climate crisis, our Government taking this action is irresponsible. Air and noise pollution are also increasing as a result of more flights into and out of Dublin Airport.
We are putting our children, grandchildren and future generations at greater peril by increasing our carbon emissions and pollution levels. – Yours, etc,
MIRIAM MOONEY,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – As I stand again in a long and time-wasting queue to get a taxi from Dublin Airport, I appeal to the board and the chief executive of the highly profitable Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) and to Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien to provide a consistently prompt taxi service from the airport.
There were more than 100 taxis in the overflowing taxi area, waiting to be called. Meanwhile, passengers arriving, like us, queue for up to an hour for a taxi, as those taxis queue to be allowed come up to the arrivals area in the airport – from the holding area, on the instructions of “controllers” wearing fluorescent gilets.
It’s a failure.
I have never encountered a taxi service so poor in any other airport. It’s a terrible introduction for visitors to Ireland. And so frustrating for users such as myself with no reasonable public transport option.
To the Minister and the DAA, please provide a prompt, passenger-centred, efficient taxi service at Dublin Airport.
Please look at and learn from successful taxi services in other airports, rather than reinvent the wheel. – Yours, etc,
FRANK MURRAY,
Sutton,
Dublin.
Fox news
Sir, – Laura O’Mara’s irritation with the local fox is understandable (Letters, September 15th), but she may have more in common with him than she realises.
Clearly, like her, he is an enthusiastic consumer of The Irish Times and likes to “devour it” on a regular basis. The only difficulty for her is that he gets there before she has a chance to do the same.
Solution? Laura simply needs to get up earlier, or not go to bed at all, and as a gesture to her furry friend, she could leave her copy of the newspaper out for him after she has finished with it. Maybe he would then be so good as to write a letter to you expressing his appreciation for her generosity. – Yours, etc,
KATHERINE QUIRKE,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Laura O’Mara outlines a current problem with foxes getting to her delivered copy of The Irish Times before she does. Might one suggest that her vulpine visitors have very good taste or perhaps they are fed up with Fox News. – Yours, etc,
FRANK J BYRNE,
Glasnevin,
Dublin 9.
Doonbeg and Irish Open
Sir, – It’s amusing to observe so much righteousness evidenced by all those who opine that they will never set foot in Donald Trump’s Doonbeg golf and hotel resort .
What a relief to realise that such crawthumping virtue signallers will never darken Doonbeg .
Having been there on a number of occasions, I can testify to the employment it brings to the local community, the professionalism and humour of the staff, the glorious views, the attention to detail, the free transport provided to restaurants in the local village, and the wonderful food.
A la Arnold Schwarzenegger, I’ll be back ! –Yours, etc,
AILEEN HOOPER,
Dublin 7.
Not a Catholic utopia
Sir, – Breda O’Brien asserts that nobody can claim the decline of Catholic influence has made Irish society happier or healthier (“Post-Catholic Ireland is hardly Utopia,” Opinion, September 13th).
Recent generations that opposed the grip the Catholic Church had on Irish society, and the tireless work they did to right the wrongs, would argue otherwise.
O’Brien suggests the reformists promised a “progressive utopia”. It’s fairer to say the social changes resulted in a less oppressive and more tolerant Ireland.
Hopefully, similar understanding will prevail in the presidential campaign with candidates from a cross-section of political and social hues in the running. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL CULLEN,
Sandycove,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – In her Opinion piece, Breda O’Brien contends that post-Catholic Ireland is hardly a utopia. I agree with her, but it is a darn sight better than the dark controlling Catholic Ireland that I grew up with in the 1950s. – Yours, etc,
JACKIE SANDFORD,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford.
Grieving
Sir, – I’m sure Brian McDevitt’s letter (September 13th) will strike a chord with many readers who find themselves in the same position – like Brian, I lost my wife five years ago next week and still feel her in our house. I agree that talking about it rather than wallowing in extended sympathy is a way forward.
Hopefully, many, like me, have a loving family for support – I have three wonderful children married to great partners with four wonderful grandchildren.
Nevertheless, in times of quiet, memory rests on my lovely wife and maybe there is a forum where such grieving can be supported with like-minded individuals. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK ROWLEY-BROOKE,
Nenagh,
Co Tipperary.
Is this a record?
Sir, – Your edition of Saturday, September 13th contained no less than 22 readers’ letters. Is this (almost) a record? – Yours, etc,
PAUL FARRELL,
Clonakilty,
Co Cork.
Shannon-Dublin pipeline
Sir, – I am shocked to read that it is estimated that €42 million will be the cost of compensation for the farmers in building the pipeline from the Shannon to Dublin. I would suggest that this pipeline should be laid below the bed of the canals.
This would be a much cheaper way of overcoming the problem and the cost of delivery of the project could be much reduced. – Yours, etc,
DENIS O’NEILL,
Newcastle,
Co Wicklow.
