Letter to the Editor: Non-partisan activists also campaign for #DontSeal

Majella Connolly (front), an adoptee from the St Patrick's Mother and Baby Home in Dublin, joins protesters outside Aras an Uachtarain, Dublin, after President Michael D Higgins signed the Bill into law.

I honestly do not know what Niall Collins TD or his colleagues are at when they claim that the #DontSeal campaign is entirely concocted by opposition politicians, or Sinn Féin in particular.

At this point, it is beyond a joke that any criticism of this Government is met with an over the top accusation of being part of a politicial conspiracy by a party that government parties regularly allege to be run by “shadowy figures”.

We do not need Trumpian style politics in this country, especially not in the middle of a national crisis.

There clearly is a large body of non-partisan activists who have spearheaded opposition to the Government’s Mother and Baby Home legislation, and utterly ignoring that is beyond disingenious.

Tomás M Creamer

Ballinamore

Co Leitrim

Fathers evade all responsibilities

Mother and baby homes are news of the day. Susan O’Shea ‘Transparency going forward is a good start’ and Fergus Finlay ‘Sealing of mother and baby home records is burying our shame’ (Irish Examiner, October 27) shine light on the topic. Rightly. But what about the fathers in all cases?

There is no mother and baby without a father and it seems to me that fathers, who should take their share of responsibility in these cases, get off scot-free. I have never heard of a father taking responsibility for his child in what is called a mother and baby home.

Is this fair? Surely most mothers know who the father of their child is.

I have never heard of nuns going out searching for unwanted babies but I have heard of families ‘placing’ the unwanted child who has a father as well as a mother, in places where their baby would at least get fed and cared for.

But my question remains; what about the fathers and their responsibility?

Am I missing something?

Veronica May

Castletroy

Limerick

Pandemic needs more perspectives

In the response so far to the pandemic challenge I think there is one glaring omission: There appears to be a complete absence of qualified and reputable specialists coming together to share their different or even opposing perspectives.

This has resulted in mostly only one view prevailing to the extent that there seems to be a general unawareness that there are other views that also need to be heard.

Recently I watched an interview with three apparently highly qualified specialists in their respective fields: Professor Martin Kulldorff, Harvard University; Professor Sunetra Gupta, Oxford University, and Professor Jay Bhattacharya, Stanford University. They expressed very different views and approaches on how to deal with this pandemic than the views most of the public are only being exposed to.

I don’t know if their approach is right or wrong and in any case, I suggest, because of the huge number of variables, nobody can know with total certainty what is the best all round approach to this pandemic.

When opposing viewpoints can come together in open minded conversation, each person having the right to put forward their own views, while at the same time having the responsibility to listen to the different and even the opposing views of others, there invariably results an expansion of awareness and a significant improvement in the quality of decision making.

Eddie O’Brien

Clonmel

Tipperary

Shocking proposal of herd immunity

RTÉ’s Prime Time was a shocking piece of broadcasting on Tuesday night. Shocking.

False equivalence, blurred concepts and loaded questions.

Professor of Biochemistry at the School of Immunology at Trinity College Luke O’Neill looked tired and mildly shocked by the inherent train of thought. Herd immunity being discussed as if it is a remotely viable idea.

RTÉ does not appear to understand that no society in human history has deliberately embarked upon a herd immunity policy in the absence of a vaccine.

And we now have every reason to suspect that naturally acquired immunity doesn’t actually exist/persist in the general population.

A muddling, confusing, irresponsible piece of television from a national broadcaster that has otherwise excelled itself in this time of crisis. Shockingly poor.

Michael Deasy

Carrigart

County Donegal

Scaremongering about Christmas

Dr Tony Holohan has inferred that if we don’t obey instructions regarding Covid-19, he could well dampen Christmas for us undeserving citizens.

Is there no end to the arrogance of this man and his team of scaremongers?

It’s bad enough being ruled over by incompetent politicians we voted for, who cannot make clear to us what they are doing on a daily basis.

Robert Sullivan

Bantry

Co Cork

Nphet must provide firm data

At what point do Tony Holohan’s fears and concerns stop being a viable justification for continued lockdowns and travel restrictions.

Eddie Wilson from Ryanair is absolutely correct to say that we need firm data from Nphet to justify the continued economic and social devastation that is being wrought by Nphet’s advice to government.

l use the word ‘advice’ loosely because on my opinion, Nphet have long since gone beyond advising government.

It appears that they now expect their recommendations to be implemented.

As Diarmaid Ferriter said, as a society we have had the prospect of Christmas dangled in front us like we were a misbehaving child.

Maudlin sentiments aside, it is the time of year when families make time to see each other. In particular when those with family members abroad look forward to an annual Christmas visit.

The vague, unsubstantiated and unchallenged ‘fear’ of Tony Holohan should not be enough to destroy the Christmas season for millions of people across the country and beyond.

Simon O’Connor

Crumlin

Dublin 12

Give the turkey a miss this Christmas

In the next few weeks the rush will be on to get the main ingredient for the Christmas dinner — the turkey.

But do people realise what they are buying? Or do they care?

Turkeys are extremely intelligent birds.

They can fly at almost 90 kilometres per hour and they can run at almost 50 km/ph.

They also can live to approximately 10 years. They are not dumb animals; they are beautiful and affectionate. They are curious and inquisitive, highly sociable, and love to play.

Sadly, turkeys raised for food don’t get this life. They are confined to filthy, small spaces, in windowless sheds, where they are forced to sit and stand together in dirty, ammonia-filled cages and coops.

They are drugged with vaccines and antibiotics so they fatten up and survive until their brutal slaughter at a few months old.

These beautiful birds deserve to live in peace and safety. Please don’t buy or eat a turkey this Christmas.

Ted Cronin

Animal Rights Party Ireland

Tralee

Co Kerry

Confused by the rules around Covid

Does anyone understand the Covid-19 restrictions that have been imposed? Here in Australia at various times, we could walk together on a golf course but not play golf. We could get our dogs groomed but not ourselves. Twenty people can go to a pub for drinks but only 10 to Mass.

I can go to a barber to get a trim but must wear a mask, but I am basically bald but have a bushy beard, do I have to get a shave around the mask like the old bowl on the head haircuts?

I understand the need for the rules and follow them but am confused by the anomalies.

Please mask up and vaccinate when it becomes available so my life can go back to something understandable.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Melbourne

Australia

Welcome return of Book of Lismore

It was wonderful to read the report regarding the transfer of the Book of Lismore to UCC by the Duke of Devonshire ‘Book of Lismore returns to Cork’ (Irish Examiner, October 28).

At the risk of sounding ungrateful to the English aristocracy, it’s about time. No less than the artifacts looted by Europeans in the 19th century and before from Egypt, Iraq and other colonised regions, this manuscript should never have left Ireland andshould not have been in private possession.

The first thing we should do now, of course, is stop calling it the Book of Lismore. It should probably be titled the Book of Kilbrittain.

Fintan Lane

Lucan,

County Dublin.