Letters to the Editor: Broad coalition needed to fight for Assange's freedom

British home secretary Priti Patel’s green light for the extradition of Julian Assange to the US raises genuine concerns about the freedom of the pres.

Writing in the Irish Examiner on the Julian Assange case (‘ Freedom of the press in grave danger as world turns back on Julian Assange’, June 26), Mick Clifford recognised I’ve invested “huge time” on behalf of Assange, only to speculate this is based on “antipathy towards the US” rather than on a genuine concern for press freedom. In support of this, he claimed I have not “advocated in any major way for press freedom in general”.

During my work as a legislator I have committed considerable time and effort to defending and advancing freedom of the press, particularly in the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee.

As the parliament’s rapporteur, I wrote the annual Fundamental Rights report in 2020, defending strong language on press freedom. I served as the LEFT’s negotiator on a 2021 report on Strengthening Democracy and Media Freedom in the EU. I will be the LEFT’s negotiator on the upcoming European Media Freedom Act.

It’s difficult to know what more could be done to dispel Mr Clifford’s doubts about my genuine concern for press freedoms. What Irish MEP has done more?

The main arguments Mick Clifford is now making about the case, that Assange’s fate is of general importance to press freedom internationally, are arguments I have been making for years.

If Mr Clifford is genuinely interested in helping to build a broad coalition for Assange’s freedom, my advice as a lifelong activist is that such coalitions are not built by denigrating committed campaigners.

They are built by practicing solidarity, and by working with others, including those you disagree with, on a common cause.

I am glad Mr Clifford agrees with me so strongly on the importance of opposing the prosecution of Julian Assange. That is one more supporter Assange needs.

Let’s cut out the nonsense and get on with it.

Clare Daly, MEP

Disabled still come second in workplace

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys recently launched a public consultation on a grant scheme to adapt workplaces for employees with a disability.

It was published on the Government website on March 31 with the public consultation to run until April 29. However, it was also stated on the website that: “Unfortunately, take-up of the scheme to date has been low and that’s why I am launching a consultation”. The consultation was then extended to May 13.

Of course the take-up would be low when many disabled people are afraid to do anything for fear of losing their disability allowance!

This allowance is not independent of jobseekers/ unemployment benefit. It needs to be independent regardless of how long a disabled person can work.

That disabled people are not even on the live register in the first place is discriminatory and renders these people invisible to society.

EU countries spend on average 2% of their GDP on social security protection for disability; Ireland spends just 0.8%. The people who pay the price are the disabled, who are subjected to social exclusion and poverty due to one of the highest rates of unemployment (up to 80%) in the EU, and senseless Government-induced enforced idleness.

Last year Minister Humphreys removed just one barrier facing PhD students with a disability by excluding them from the means test.

It is unacceptable that disability allowance is means-tested and any earnings over €140pw affect it, whereas the average Irish salary is €38,000 or approximately €800pw.

Minister Humphreys has the temerity to say that anyone claiming disability allowance in Ireland is entitled to have up to €50,000 in savings when even most non-disabled people don’t have that and cannot even afford to purchase a property in Ireland.

As an income of at least €16,000pa is needed for a credit card from Irish banks and An Post, even accessing this on disability allowance is out of the question for most, let alone getting a mortgage as their earning potential is so reduced. The outgoing Ulster Bank had fewer lending criteria for its credit card, making it accessible, but UB is now pulling out of Ireland.

It lies with those who have powers, particularly, Minister Humphreys, to remove these discriminatory and ostracising restrictions.

John Scanlon

Co Kerry

Why is HSE ignoring long Covid data?

In relation to the article, ‘ Prof Jack Lambert: ‘Brain fog’ the most persistent symptom of long Covid’, Irish Examiner, July 7.

Why is the HSE insistent upon shackling itself to old data regarding the treatment of long Covid? And why isn’t Prof Lambert and his colleagues’ data to the fore of any long Covid strategy?

With scores of workers removed from an ever-dwindling workforce and thousands receiving welfare payments, surely the most crude policymaker must be able to calculate basic maths and accept long Covid patients need urgent help, both for themselves and for the economy.

Why also is long Covid never considered during a peak in cases? We constantly hear about hospital figures but never about the silent 10% or so of each wave who end up out of work, on benefits and tagged to our already spiraling hospital and GP waiting lists?

Our healthcare system is on its knees and with Covid here to stay, surely we should be doing more to help those with long Covid and more to cut the transmission of Covid, ensuring thousands more don’t end up out of work, on benefits and on waiting lists.

Whatever happened to the concept of hands, face, space and protecting our fragile health system?

It seems we’ve become even more shortsighted these past two years and I dread to think where we’ll be in two years’ time when our health system buckles under the weight of waiting lists and absence of workers due to long-term illness.

Marie Hanna Curran

Ballinasloe

Co Galway

Abortion doesn’t help abused minors

Reading the article and its heading ‘Rape victim, 10, forced to travel from Ohio to Indiana for abortion’ in your edition of July 5, I couldn’t help feeling that the Irish Examiner is putting the worst possible spin on anything related to the overturning of the Roe v Wade decision.

No doubt the case in question is harrowing for all concerned, but it appears as if no consideration is given to the possibility that a young girl who is pregnant as a result of abuse may be further traumatised by what is in effect a forced abortion.

While I personally welcome the new position adopted by the US Supreme Court, I’m not so naive as to assume it will automatically lead to the elimination of a desire for the provision of abortion. What I find disturbing though, is the slavish media assumption that the default position of carrying out abortions on abused pregnant minors, will somehow help diminish or expunge the memory of their horrific experiences.

Rory O’Donovan

Killeens

Cork

We need return of compulsory masks

I believe that mask wearing should be compulsory in retail, at any big gathering and on all forms of public transport.

Look at the chaos in airports with staff unable to work because of Covid.

We owe it to each other to take as many precautions as possible to protect the vulnerable in our society.

I sincerely hope our government will put compulsory mask wearing back in place, especially at the end of summer, when flu season arrives

Joan Pollard Carew

Rathmore

Co Kerry

No pound of flesh will cover world debt

The combined debt of all the world’s countries is around $300tn, give or take.

It’s going to be interesting when ‘the man’ shows up and demands he be repaid - a pound of flesh isn’t going to be anywhere near to covering it.

Liam Power

Dundalk

Co Louth