Letters to the Editor: Apologies are no substitute for justice

 Taoiseach Micheal Martin is expected to issue an  apology on Wednesday. 

Fianna Fáil leader and Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, will apologise on behalf of the State to the survivors of the mother and baby homes. 

This scandal did not occur over a short period or in secrecy: It occurred throughout our State’s existence. It is still going on, to some extent, as demonstrated by the premature leaking of the commission of investigation report and the sealing of records.

Was the leaking a tactic to take some of the focus off the perpetrators of abuse in the homes, and off those who were complicit?

Fianna Fáil, and, for a shorter time, Fine Gael, were in power throughout the lifetimes of the mother and baby homes. They had a duty of care, which they failed to honour.

We have heard far too many, far-too-belated apologies for this and for other scandals, so much so that such cynical apologies should, perhaps, be ended.

The focus should be on achieving real justice, for this and for other scandals. We must also focus on accountability for those who are culpable, in spite of the unforgivable delays.

The mothers and babies who were treated so cruelly need justice and not crocodile tears.

Edward Horgan

Castletroy, Co Limerick

Action preferable to another apology

We are told that the Taoiseach will apologise on behalf of the State in relation to mother and baby homes, with a commission of investigation report to be reviewed by the Cabinet today.

In the past, we have heard many “apologies” from taoisigh, but of what value are these words, when no constructive follow-up action is taken?

I suggest, Taoiseach, that you forget the politics and take some positive action to show those victims that you care.

Michael A Moriarty

Rochestown, Cork

Parents and clergy should apologise

It is not Micheál Martin nor the Government who should apologise for what happened in the mother and baby homes. It is those parents who turned their backs on their daughters in their hour of need, forcing them to go into those homes. Maybe some apologies could also come from members of the clergy, who did not want their parishes “shamed” and pressured some of those same parents.

Cal Hyland

Rosscarbery, West Cork

Small windfarms in non-scenic areas

Years ago, a windfarm developer visited me to discuss his proposals. I made a few suggestions and added two requests: One, that a pylon should, in the interest of the visual aspect, be removed or relocated; and, two, that the connection line to the national grid should be under-grounded. The developer agreed to both requests and to my suggestions, including to make annual contributions to local community organisations. That enterprise, I believe, continues to flourish.

That person’s approach should have become the benchmark for all windfarm developments, but, in truth, it is the exception. The large companies, intent primarily on long-term profits, have devalued many locations, including some of prime scenic value. Very few, to my knowledge, have enhanced, either financially or aesthetically, the local people or their environment. I do know that there has been a recent announcement of local contributions being allocated by one windfarm. I hope that it is a long-term commitment.

Windfarm speculators almost uncontrolled access to our hilltops and mountain sides, according to reader, Michael Gleeson.

The sequestration of carbon gases is of worldwide importance in the great struggle against climate change. Peatland is of prime value in that long-term storage. Yet the authorities have, for many years, allowed windfarm speculators almost uncontrolled access to our hilltops and mountain sides. In the process, millions of tonnes of virgin bog is uprooted to facilitate the embedding of the enormous concrete bases of the pylons. The contradiction is too obvious to need explanation.

A great opportunity has been lost to encourage local landowners and community co-operatives to develop small to medium-sized windfarms in areas where scenery is not the primary attraction.

But this has not come to pass, because the large companies have come and, thus far, shown little or no respect for local communities, nor for the scenery in tourist areas.

This must stop.

I was once an enthusiast for maximising the potential of wind for the generation of electricity, but, alas, the harsh reality of what has taken place over many years has lost the potentially wonderful industry a friend.

Michael Gleeson

Clasheen, Killarney

We need national waste strategy

I read with interest about the negative environmental implications of Brexit, as the UK introduces a variety of taxes applicable to Irish online shoppers (‘Packaging waste piles up as online shoppers try to avoid post-Brexit charges’, Irish Examiner, January 6). Such taxes will encourage Irish consumers to purchase goods online individually, in contrast to the present, when such items are secured collectively, exempt of taxation. The result will be that individual transactions will increase substantially and the amount of packaging likewise, adding to the already escalating amounts of packaging coming into our country.

We must introduce a national waste-management strategy. As a society, our legislative has a choice to make: Do we continue to ignore the obvious, to the detriment of our environment, or do we introduce a progressive tax, and determine the quality and quantity of waste we have to manage?

Tadhg O’Donovan

Rathcarrig, Fermoy

Biden should do what Ford did

Reconciliation and not revenge can be the theme of the US president-elect Joe Biden’s administration. The plan to quickly impeach the US president, Donald Trump, could do more harm than good and may not happen, for lack of time to organise it before Biden’s inauguration this month.

President-elect Joe Biden. Should he pardon Donald Trump?

The impeachment could be seen as revenge by the 74m Americans who voted for Trump in the 2020 election and could create more anger and division. Social media fuelled these divisions in the last four years.Some 81m voters chose Biden. The damage social media can do has been shown and Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram banned Trump last week for making untrue statements about the election.

A US president from the 1970s shows a positive way forward. Gerald Ford pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon, against the advice of many around him. Ford was vice-president in Nixon’s administration, but not
involved in the illegal activities of which Nixon was accused. Ford did what he thought best for the country to move forward, and quickly, from the tortuous political and legal aftermath of the Watergate break-in. He pardoned Nixon and the country did move on.

The same can be done with Trump. The Democrats need to be patient for the inauguration and consign Trump’s one term to history. It is more important for the Biden administration and the Democratic Party to reach out to those who voted for Trump, to calm the anger and divisions.

Mary Sullivan

College Road, Cork

Banning Trump bad for free speech

It is extraordinary to see media outlets, with all the advantages at their disposal, cowering behind a social-media ban on the highly irresponsible bluster and politicking of US president, Donald Trump.

A sign stands in the bed of a pickup truck during a gathering calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump at South High School before a car rally through the streets of Denver. 

The first duty of the journalist is to champion freedom of speech and freedom of expression; to fact-check claims and statements, not to ban them. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are fundamental to our cherished democracies.

J Anthony Gaughan

Blackrock, Co Dublin

Capitol protesters were not terrorists

I guessed there would be a large gathering of Trump supporters in Washington DC last week, as a last stand to protest against the result of the US presidential election.

Trump supporters use cell phones to make images of a man injured during a protest with police at the Capitol in Washington. 

So they arrived in Washington last Wednesday, and Trump, as usual, denounced the election results and sent them off down the road to protest outside the Capitol.

Instead of finding resistance from security guards, the protesters entered the buildings — they couldn’t believe it — and hadn’t a clue what to do when they got in. These were mostly ordinary people, who have every right to protest, regardless of being Trump supporters. If those people had been terrorists, they would have been armed and would have murdered every politician in the building.

David Hennessy

Dawson St, Dublin 2

Park big enough for people, animals

Bravo to the OPW for preventing light pollution in Phoenix Park. While there is room for humans to exercise, the park is the habitat of other species.

Eve Parnell

James St, Dublin 8