Sir, – It is astonishing that the Fine Gael leadership fails to recognise the ugliness of its presidential campaign.
While Catherine Connolly has continued campaigning on a range of topics, it would seem that Heather Humphreys has been told to adhere to the Fine Gael whip, which in turn seems to believe doubling down on the contrived hypocrisy between Connolly’s Dáil statements and her work as a barrister will win the day.
Whatever the truth of that, for a non-aligned but keenly interested voter Heather Humphreys appears increasingly as a Fine Gael hack, while the former leas ceann comhairle Connolly increasingly represents the independence of thought so characteristic of Michael D Higgins and his predecessors.
We have enough of the political hackery, name-calling and trolling in the ineffectual Dáil without that “go-low” political chicanery seeping into the Áras. – Yours, etc,
RM Block
JOHN MULCAHY,
Portsalon,
Co Donegal
Sir, – How could Catherine Connolly have adequately represented banker clients in the courts, given the strength of her distaste for their behaviour as expressed on record in the Dáil?
Or did she only come to those views when she was no longer acting as a barrister on their behalf?
And why, when she and her political supporters such as Labour’s Ivana Bacik and Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy believe that she is fit to be president, do they also appear to believe that her record should be above scrutiny or question? – Yours, etc,
DAVID McKENNA,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – Fintan O’Toole’s Opinion piece in today’s Irish Times states that “Connolly has many questions to answer and she dodges most of them”.
In his final paragraph he states that “Connolly is going to be our next president and it is in the interest of all our citizens that she be allowed to ascend into that office with grace and dignity.” There is still time for Catherine Connolly to answer these many questions, and maybe then, this citizen could accept O’Toole ‘s plea. – Yours, etc,
WILLIE O’CALLAGHAN,
Co Cork.
Sir, – Regarding the recent criticisms of Catherine Connolly, I would have thought that someone who has shown they can deal fairly with those of opposing views – whether in court or as leas ceann comhairle – has demonstrated some of the qualities expected of a president. Yours, etc,
PADDY MEYLER,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Having moved to London a decade ago, I lost my right to vote in Irish elections. There is merit in my not being able to vote in general elections – I am neither a taxpayer at home, nor a resident, so why should I get a say in the day-to-day running of the place?
However, I do understand the sentiment that perhaps citizens of Ireland now resident elsewhere, such as myself, could express their view via the presidential election; it is a largely ceremonial role after all.
However, for this election, so atrocious is the field of candidates that I am happy that the Constitution forces me to sit this one out.
This whole affair reeks of unseriousness. From denying potential serious candidates from standing, to unsuitable candidates being put in, only to withdraw.
The inevitable winner seems to now have red flags against her, yet all cheerfully ignored because she has adopted an anti-establishment, antigovernment position; a position which is unsustainable once in office.
If this is the marker of future presidential elections, the Government shouldn’t bother to extend the franchise – if overseas citizens were to have but a single way of expressing our voice, we deserve better than this shambles. – Yours, etc,
EVAN BYRNE,
London.
Sir, – Here’s a strong argument for the president being fluent in Irish (Ian D’Alton, “Reality and the Irish language”, Letters, October 21st: using it, the incumbent could make the most undiplomatic pronouncements about our friends in Europe and in other places around the world and they, along with a sizeable proportion of the population at home, wouldn’t know what was being said. – Yours, etc,
SEAMUS McKENNA,
Co Kildare.
Working for the local authority
Sir, – In response to Tuesday’s letter on paying more property tax, I have to agree with the letter writer in full. However, I do feel we should not ignore some positive initiatives coming from our local authorities who derive some of their funding from this tax.
Recently I found out that Dublin City Council will at this time of year provide free plastic bags to allow individuals to clean up leaves from the roads and streets.
These can be placed on the kerbside for collection. I would like to thank the council for providing this service and allowing me to do their work for them. – Yours, etc,
JOHN GLEESON,
Dublin 6W.
MetroLink and Mullally
Sir, – MetroLink has had one of the most protracted and well-publicised planning processes this country has ever seen.
If Una Mullally was concerned over the level of public debate or “awareness” regarding certain aspects of this plan she could have used her weekly column to highlight these concerns while there was still time to make submissions on planning, rather than after the fact. – Yours, etc,
COLM DOYLE,
Dublin.
China and organ transplantation
Sir, – Given the opacity of the functions of the Chinese state it is perhaps rational for the ethical watchdogs of the world to worry about plans to increase organ transplantation there (“Why China plans new organ transplant institutions”, October 21st).
The sourcing of such tissue in a country with, as reported, a “low voluntary donation rate” is a legitimate concern, but nonetheless the claim that “every organ transplant is part of harvesting” is definitely incorrect.
The reason this can be said with confidence is there is at least some xenotransplantation, where organs are taken from genetically engineered animals, taking place.
Recent success in this domain offers a more charitable interpretation of why new centres are being built there.
Very recently, modest levels of success and proof-of-concept have been reported from China in the production and implantation of lungs and livers from genetically engineered pigs.
These organ pose particular challenges in handling, both during and after surgery.
Heart transplantation from porcine sources has been more successful with individuals living for months afterwards in both the USA and China.
The major benefits though have been in kidney transplantation where individuals now surviving for many months may go on to do so for years.
Unlike in the procurement of organs from humans, the tissue can be ultimately be designed to evoke less immune rejection and, should it fail, more can be produced on demand- on a literally “industrial scale”.
This may be the advent of a new era in which transplantation, in which a miracle for the fortunate recipient will not entail sacrifice or catastrophe for another person.
Whether it is the basis for a current expansion of centres is hard to know at present, but it is very likely to their purpose in the longer term. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN O’BRIEN,
Co Cork.
Phonebox suggestion
Sir, – I was having a drink alone (a very pleasant one) recently and I noticed that everyone in the pub except, quite noticeably, the bar staff was phoneless. The pub was much the better for it.
Would a phonebox be an idea in general? At first I considered that you could deposit your phone in the box and be rewarded, but I couldn’t think of a satisfactory way to make that work. Instead, I think every time someone uses their phone, they should deposit €1 in the “phone box”, which goes to charity. A win-win? – Yours, etc,
JOHN REGAN,
Celbridge,
Co Kildare.
Don’t spare the horses
Sir – Your front page report “Gardaí may now issue fines for hard-to-read licence plates” (October 20th) has caused me to re-evaluate the achievements of a relative I discovered while researching my family history.
At first I had been slightly underwhelmed that his long career in the Royal Irish Constabulary seemed to revolve around little more than fines for irregularities with horse-drawn carts.
Now I realise that he managed to promote rural road safety without even having had the benefit of an IT upgrade for his app. – Yours, etc.
SEAN RYAN,
Mountshannon,
Co Clare.
Trump whisperer
Sir, – Regarding “Trump, talks and Tomahawks” (Editorial, October 20th), it is becoming more and more evident, with each passing event, that Russian president Vladimir Putin is indeed the leading Trump whisperer.
No amount of Trumpian bluster demanding a ceasefire, or statements of ironclad deadlines for action, or the dangling of wish lists items for Ukraine – all can (and have) been swept away by Putin either in long-winded telephone calls or “buddy” meetings at some appropriate high level, exotic site.
The present and future security of Ukraine is at the mercy of Donald Trump’s weather vane style vacillations towards Ukraine, driven by the icy winds of deterrence from the Kremlin. – Yours, etc.
DAN DONOVAN,
Dungarvan
Co Waterford.
Psychotherapy controversy
Sir, – The European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) expresses serious concerns about the proposed Coru regulations and standards for psychotherapy training reported here. In countries across the EU, psychotherapy qualifications conform to EQF level 7 standards, and the Coru proposals would significantly lower these standards in Ireland.
As the organisation responsible for setting European-wide psychotherapy standards, the EAP is very concerned about public protection implications. Psychotherapy standards exists to ensure patient safety.
Coru proposals such as discarding personal therapy requirements for students and trainees, will inevitably put future patients at risk from insufficiently qualified psychotherapists.
Similarly concerning is the discard of clinical supervision requirements, an essential aspect of safe clinical practice and another serious public protection concern.
The current Coru proposals would set the Ireland psychotherapy field and provisions back by decades and make Ireland the only EU country with substandard psychotherapy qualifications enshrined by legislation.
We can only speculate about reasons, but none would be worth the price of putting patients at risk and isolating Ireland’s psychotherapists in Europe.
TOM WARNECKE,
General Secretary,
European Association
for Psychotherapy,
Vienna.
Hyperbole suggestions
Sir, – Some more to add to Frank McNally’s 100 hyperboles list (October 21st):
1. People who have their dinner in the middle of the day.
2. People who get up early in the morning.
3. Breakfast roll.
4. Sally O’Brien and the way she might look at ya.
5. The home of the good stuff.
6. The “DORT” accent.
7. Italia ’90.
8. Come dance with me in Ireland.
9. It’s showtime.
10. There was no sex in Ireland before the Late Late Show.
11. It started on the Late Late Show.
12. I’m not a hugger.
13. That money was resting in my account.
14. Ireland’s largest Lingerie Department.
15. The Walkinstown Roundabout.
16. Stop the lights.
17. Dustin for President. – Yours, etc,
FINIAN MATTHEWS,
Malahide,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Further suggestions for Frank McNally:
101. He’s some man for one man.
102. Go on, go on, go on, go on ...
103. Here’s your coat, what’s your hurry?
104. ... the dreary steeples of Fermanagh and Tyrone ...
105. Aon lá thar talamh. – Yours, etc,
SEAMUS BRESLIN,
Dublin 15.
Sir. – Further to Frank McNally’s list, may I add the following:
The Garden of Ireland.
The truth in the news.
He’d drink the Liffey dry.
Hunger is good sauce. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK O’BYRNE,
Phibsborough,
Dublin 7.
Waterways and pollution
Sir, – It is difficult to come up with any argument countering the very real concerns expressed in your leader of October 15th and in the letters from Ben Williamson and Louisa Moss (October 21st).
It appears too much to hope that a senior Government representative might respond to these issues through the medium of your letters page – and provide us with good reasons for the ongoing massive supports made available to the farming community allowing for the seemingly indefinite continuance of current practices which appear to fly in the face of our obligations under the Paris Agreement.
If there is an explanation why can’t we hear it? – Yours, etc,
PAUL O’SHEA,
Planet Before Profit CLG,
Dublin.
