Health and safety madness reaches schools

IS there any limit to this “health and safety” madness? The mandarins in the Department of Education and Science decided last week that schools would be closed until tomorrow not only in Dublin but throughout the whole country.

The amazing fact is that the pronouncement was made between three and five days ahead of the period to which it applied.

Then Met Eireann predicted rising temperatures in the south for early this week. In any case, roads were relatively dry in this part of Cork and there were no reports of any problems for those schools that opened last Thursday and Friday. How can we legislate for every natural event that may or may not occur?

Surely, such decisions should be made locally and on a day-to-day basis. Soon we will be afraid to stick our heads out the door. After all, even rain is dangerous – it reduces visibility and can cause flooding.

Anthony Beese

Downeen

Rosscarbery

Co Cork