Last week, the leader of Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald once again raised the suitability of Leo Varadkar remaining in ministerial office because he had sent a copy of an agreement between the State and the Irish Medical Organisation to Dr Maitiú Ó Tuathail, the then president of a rival GP organisation, the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP).
Despite pointing out that the information was already in the public domain, he admitted that what he did was “inappropriate” and apologised.
A Sinn Féin motion of no confidence in him was rejected after a Dáil debate.
Following a decision by An Garda Síochána to upgrade the investigation into his actions and even though leading legal experts were of the opinion it was unlikely that the Tánaiste would face criminal charges, the Sinn Féin leader called on him to resign or for the Taoiseach to sack him if he didn’t.
If any of these suggestions had have been implemented, it would have precipitated a major political crisis causing a possible general election in the middle of the current pandemic and accompanying economic crisis.
However, what makes the Sinn Féin leader’s action totally hypocritical is the stance that Sinn Féin adopts when they select candidates to be appointed to ministerial office in Northern Ireland.
At least three of them, have not only been charged with criminal terrorist offences but convicted of them before being appointed as ministers in the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive.
Gerry Kelly was convicted in November 1973 of the London bombings of that year and given two life sentences plus 20 years. He was appointed as junior minister to the office of first minister and deputy first minister from 2007 to 2011.
Following him in the same ministerial role from 2011-12 was Martina Anderson who was convicted of a number of offences including carrying firearms and causing explosions and who was also given a life sentence.
Carál Ní Chuilín was convicted in 1990 of firearms possession, possession of explosives with the intent to endanger life, and attempted murder. She was sentenced to eight years in prison, but she was released after four years.
She served as minister for culture, arts and leisure from 2011 to 2016 and in 2020 under Ms McDonald’s leadership of the all-Ireland party she was appointed as minister for communities.
I would invite the Sinn Féin leader to justify if these were suitable credentials for appointment to ministerial office.
I would further invite her to clarify if they were to win the next election in this part of Ireland would Sinn Féin appoint anyone with a terrorist record to the post of minister of justice.
John Cushnahan
Former leader of Alliance Party and Former Fine Gael MEP
Bring Christy Ring’s statue into the city
Thank you for the article on Christy Ring’s — ‘From the archive’ ( Irish Examiner, March 20).
It brings it all back, who he was and what he did. The words “iconic” and “legendary” are insufficient to sum up his achievements.
In Cork, he was a god. When I was 16, I cycled to Limerick just to see him play. It was worth it.
But I am angry, very angry and frustrated. I can see no reason on earth why Christy Ring’s statue has been dumped in a field near Cork Airport. What is the thinking behind this inexplicable decision? It is an insult to the great man.
Who did it? The GAA? Our city fathers?
They should hang their heads in shame. Bring him home and place him where he belongs; in the centre of Christy Ring Bridge for all to see.
Jim McKeon
Bishopstown
Cork
Tread carefully and open small traders
Wonderful as the development and rollout of the vaccine against Covid-19 is it should not blind us to the fact that the virus is still very much with us and will be for some time to come.
More variants are popping up all the time and it is almost inevitable that we will be hit by a new wave of the pestilence, if it hasn’t already arrived.
But the real danger now is not so much the virus per se but the refusal by those in power to put in place the correct procedures to mitigate its worst effects.
We cannot have a repeat of what happened in December and early January.
Many people have suffered greatly over the past year both physically and mentally because of the pandemic so they now need to be able to reconnect with family and friends and gather in small groups, preferably in an outdoor setting.
Any opening up of foreign travel over the summer months should be seriously considered and, in my opinion, kept to an absolute minimum.
All large sporting and musical events should be put on hold for the moment.
It would be great if the small and not so small non-essential businesses could resume trading, as they have been hit very hard by this crisis, but daily case numbers would need to be somewhere south of 200 for this to happen safely.
Michael Henchion
Ballincollig
Cork
Taking gender equality too far
The country is slowly but surely going to the dogs. Michael Healy-Rae is rightly up in arms about Josepha Madigan’s (minister of state for inclusion) ridiculous calling for more gender equality in regards title names such as The Kerryman newspaper. ( Suggestion The Kerryman newspaper rebrand to be gender-neutral is 'balderdash' Irish Examiner, March 18).
Will the The Corkman newspaper now have to become The Cork Person newspaper?
If we’re going down this road of political correctness, it is only going to lead to more disorientation and the death of humour because whatever you say it can be construed as something else?
What a boring bloody place it would be if you can’t express yourself in a normal Irish fashion with a bit of craic thrown in.
If Josepha Madigan were to become taoiseach (God forbid) you would be barred from having a sense of humour, or saying ‘are you going to drown the shamrock’ or’ ‘herself is going to the shop’ because it would be sexist.
We have a minister importing more of the same garbage and trying to inflict it on our wee nation in the middle of an all-out war on Covid-19.
Get a bloody grip.
James Woods
Dún na nGall
We are in a state of soft totalitarianism
One year ago the then taoiseach, speaking of pandemic related restrictions said: “I believe a liberal democracy can do this without the need for authoritarian or draconian actions.”
One year later it is appalling to see how the method of governance in Ireland has morphed into one of soft totalitarianism.
Individual and societal rights have been trampled upon in a manner which is out of all proportion to the requirements of public health, to international best practice or to the deep human values that are fundamental to society.
A case in point is the banning of public worship on a scale and duration that is matched by no other free nation, as well as denying extended families and friends the right to attend funerals except in minuscule numbers.
Christians in Northern Ireland will gather to celebrate Easter in their churches. Unless the Government changes its stance in coming days, worshippers in the Republic will be unjustly denied this right.
The word “unprecedented” was widely used at the start of the pandemic and correctly so. Our country entered into unchartered territory.
However, in our one hundred years since independence it is also unprecedented that government would deny the people of Ireland a plethora of fundamental rights.
Maurice O’Brien
Blackrock Road
Cork
Set aside funding to clean up Cork
The €405m regeneration funding for Cork city and docklands is excellent news.
However those of us, who love this city and are appalled by all too evident neglect and decay in what is a unique and valuable urban landscape, will want to be assured that a portion will be set aside to clean up dirty houses and bring them to a required standard.
It cannot be beyond the wit of the council to devise ways of obliging negligent landlords to tidy up visually filthy premises — and of rewarding those who do invest and care for their properties.
‘Demand high standards’ is my message. Clean up our city before spending on extravagant projects.
Martin Kay
Blackrock
Cork
Food for thought
Gearóid Duffy says under current Covid restrictions, supermarkets remain packed while churches are closed to parishioners for MassOpen churches in time for Easter, ( Irish Examiner, Letters, March 20).
That might be because people need to eat. Regardless of what Jesus may have said, people need physical food.
Not everyone is a Catholic and not every non-Catholic believes the Eucharist sustains the faithful. Food from the supermarket, however, sustains even atheists.
He is right regarding coffee queues though. No one needs coffee in the same way they need food.
John Williams
Clonmel
Tipperary
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