Letters to the editor: Doctors' earnings always in the limelight

In the supposed land of milk and honey for doctors, 720 consultant posts are unfilled in the smallest consultant workforce in Europe.

As predictable as the daffodils, spring every year seems to bring a headline in which the earnings of 23 of Ireland’s 17,925 doctors are held up to scrutiny.

These huge sums are compared to the average salary of a nurse, rather than the far more modest salary of an average doctor for reasons best known to the writer.

There seems to be a lack of curiosity as to why these doctors are earning sums no doctor in Ireland ever should from the public purse. And equally as to why it is in the supposed land of milk and honey for doctors that 720 consultant posts are unfilled even in the smallest consultant workforce in Europe.

The very small number of doctors earning the type of sums mentioned in your article would be on a “one in two” rota. This means they are on duty for 24 hours straight, followed by eight hours the next day, 24 the one after and so on and so on, averaging 108 to 120 hours working per week.

There is a very simple alternative to paying these two dozen or so highly skilled people such eye-watering amounts, and that is to close services that don’t have enough doctors to be able to safely staff a rota in a normal manner.

Somehow, I feel it is unlikely that the politicians and journalists who annually raise these matters are going to champion that particular cause to their readers, listeners, and voters, but in the interest of intellectual honesty maybe it’s time they try?

Anthony O’Connor

Tallaght University Hospital

Dublin

Church should pay for decades of abuse

Thank goodness for the honesty of Fergus Finlay. I am happy to “admit” that I went to a Spiritan school — Rockwell College — between 1952 and 1957. It was, as you can imagine, in those days a stark, relatively unfeeling, and austere environment.

However, I never received any approach from any member of the community. There were certainly comments about it but I don’t recall any specific names.

I think the issue was there but perhaps it became more common later. After all, the life of religious orders was and is unreasonable, the requirement to remain celibate, while purporting to help people, is unreal.

That is not to say I am happy about the whole issue of abuse by religious of boys and girls. I consider that governments, including our own, have failed us in not calling out, specifically, the Catholic Church for decades of abuse.

I am also, like Fergus, appalled at the lack of legislation to require institutions that have convicted members, to hand over assets.

Our politicians have always ducked the issue behind supposed legal problems.

The idea that we, the citizens, should pay organisations, which, in many cases, did not pay for their assets, is illogical and should be prohibited.

Barry Mahon

Sherkin Island

Terrific insight into horrors of Ukraine war

Thank you for the wonderful piece by the Ukrainian journalist Polina Bashkina.

She describes herself as a citizen, a woman, a warrior and a mother, now living in Ireland with her son Platon.

Ukrainian journalist Polina Bashkina with her son Platon after fleeing the war in Ukraine. Picture: Bob Morrison

She described so vividly her life and that of her fellow Ukrainians prior to the Russian invasion “nothing unusual was happening” even while she, though very much in the minority, believed that the invasion was inevitable and prepared accordingly.

She faced a dilemma between joining the territorial defence squad and looking after Platon’s safety but thanks to the welcome she has received here, she has chosen the latter. I hope we will be have the privilege of having more of her insights and reflections.

Sheila O'Driscoll

Blackrock Rd

Cork

Robust legislation will tackle obesity

In her article Dr Catherine Conlon notes that we need robust legislation to help address obesity. Drawing on commitments in the Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025 (OPAP) and the programme for government, the call is made for legislative measures to make an impact and to be effective to regulate for healthy environments.

For too long, successive governments have been wedded to voluntary codes. Since we started developing policies to tackle obesity, industry have been considered important stakeholders. While sitting on these groups, they have also consecutively opposed public health policies that would improve the health of the nation. They have wielded their power to curb provisions in these policies that are most egregious to them, diluting the effectiveness of these policies as they go.

A cursory look at the Non-Broadcast Media Advertising and Marketing of Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, including Sponsorship and Retail Product Placement: Voluntary Codes of Practice, as provided for by the OPAP, tells us enough about how ineffective these codes are: published in 2018, they have gone nowhere. And yet we still have no statutory legislation in place.

Furthermore, while the Programme for Government did promise a Public Health (Obesity) Act which would deal with marketing of unhealthy food to children, there hasn’t been a whisper of it since.

Why do policy makers shirk from legislation in this area? It cannot be the absence of opportunity. Indeed, there is scope within the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022 to deal with advertising to children, on media services and online, if the will exists.

To protect children’s health and wellbeing means to legislate and regulate for healthier environments. It means standing up to vested interests and, as Dr Conlon says, “to give parents and children an opportunity to have a “fair chance to make the healthy choice”.

Kathryn Walsh

Ballyjamesduff

Co Cavan

Busking impacts on Cork city centre living

I refer to the Hugh Wallace article about city living. 

As a resident of Oliver Plunkett St for five years, I agree with Hugh. I would love to see my area become a thriving neighbourhood.

However, the absence of busking bylaws in Cork city greatly impacts quality of life after dark. Hence why most residents don’t make it through a year here.

With no rules on time limits and amplification levels, performers are often playing until 3.30am, sometimes beyond, fully amplified.

It’s high time for busking bylaws in Cork city, akin to those of Dublin, if it is to become a more habitable and enjoyable place to reside.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

Alice Foley

Oliver Plunkett St

Cork city

Appeal for property lost on bus journey

Around six months ago, I paid a brief visit to my auntie’s house in Cork. This used to be my grandmother’s home and still contains many of her things; generations of family photographs are kept there.

My parents died young and left six children, we were brought over to Ireland and lived with different relatives until we left home.

We don’t have many keepsakes of our lives and our parents lives, and so the photographs sent and kept over the years are very important.

I wanted to copy some family photos, including my mother and father’s wedding and so brought them with me.

I got the 16.25 Bus Éireann bus from Cork to Galway on Saturday, September 11. I placed my small silver coloured suitcase in the baggage hold along with other suitcases and bags in the hold. I had no form of id on or in the case, just some clothes and the photos.

The Cork / Galway bus stops in Charleville and Mallow, and also will stop if requested. There was a change of bus at Limerick, I took the case (it was the only one left) and placed it on the Galway bus.

When I got home I discovered I had someone else’s case, and have been trying to find my own since. I’ve tried the bus depots, and the local garda stations along the route. Could anyone help me here?

Kate Duignan

21 Tulach Ard

Rahoon

Galway