I am disgusted at Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Crowe of Galway City Council. Objecting to proposals to accommodate members of the Traveller community in a house in the Renmore area of Galway, Mr Crowe said: “I’m not sure too many of the housing officials would like a Traveller family moving in beside them ... but yet it’s OK to foist it on other people. And I don’t believe that’s fair.”
Fair? What does he mean by fair?
Just who does he think Travellers are? And who is he to say what other people will want or not want? Apparently, he speaks for everyone? Well, has he spoken to every one of his constituents to find out? Obviously not, because not everyone thinks the same as him.
We should not discriminate against a group of people who have been recognised as an ethnic minority by the State.
The other part of this fiasco is that he did not declare that he has interests in two properties in the same area. Refusing to apologise, when that part of the story broke, he suddenly apologised. Funny that?
Michelle Mitchell
Headford Road
Galway
Picking up votes with 30% tax band
There is no doubt in the mind of all middle-class earners in this country that the 30% tax band rate is welcome — ‘ Finance Minister forced to ‘fudge’ budget speech after behind-the-scenes row over 30% tax rate’ (Irish Examiner, online, October 1).
The middle class is immensely squeezed in Ireland when it comes to taxation. These are the people who pay the most and on that basis Fianna Fáil is knowledgeable that by abandoning this tax band, the revenue will suffer — but by not realising that this will also be the cause of their losses in the next election results.
If Fine Gael wants to stay in power in the coming elections, the introduction of the 30% tax band is their ticket to achieve it.
Boyd Phiri
Bray
Co Wicklow
State-owned green energy industry
A fully State-owned Irish green energy industry with all revenues flowing to the public purse must be created with surplus energy going for export if our nation is to be energy-secure and prosper into the 21st century and beyond.
This discredited and mindless ideology of the present government parties — ie, privatisation — has contributed in no small way to our nation being in the equivalent of a debtor’s prison — a fact at present obscured by the haze of corporation tax which is by no means secured for the future.
Not only has privatisation ensured the ongoing and increasing debt burden of our nation requiring billions of euro in annual interest but has, and will continue, to ensure the decline in vital services such as health and housing and in so many other vital areas of Irish life.
The energy crisis has served to highlight the recklessness, profligacy, and incompetence which is that ideology of the privatisation of our natural resources as has been practised by these parties which have made up our government for many years.
Initiation of a national green energy industry must be implemented with urgency.
I say to the governing parties Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green Party: Now that you have proved that you can facilitate the creation of multimillionaires and billionaires in the private sector over the years how about doing it for our nation and her citizens so that we can have a healthy health service and homes for all. After all that is what you have been elected to do.
Joe Brennan
Ballinspittle
Co Cork
Lit up by the giveaway budget
As a result of our giveaway budget, I left an extra bulb lighting in the house. For an hour.
Tom Gilsenan
Beaumont
Dublin 9
Power struggle for elected politicians
Ever wonder what’s going to happen this winter when politicians are faced with the choice of either shutting down all those data centres, or cutting off supplies to the people who elected them?
It’s going to be “no contest” in favour of...
Liam Power
Dundalk
Co Louth
The only certain thing is uncertainty
Certainty is, and has been, the favourite word of Sinn Féin politicians for quite a while now.
We heard them repeatedly calling for it during the Covid pandemic when the only certainty about it was uncertainty.
We have it from them again now in relation to the budget and rising energy prices.
Pearse Doherty tells us that if he was minister he would bring certainty to energy costs.
That indeed would be some achievement, because if he was able to do so, he clearly would be in a position to know the eventual outcome of the Ukrainian war.
Isn’t it wonderful to have a prophet in our midst?
Tim Maher
Inse Geimhleach
Co Chorcaí
Biden calls for dead congresswoman
US President Joe Biden asked “Where’s Jackie?” — a dead congresswoman — during his White House speech. He was searching for the late congresswoman, Jackie Walorski, who died in a car crash in August. At age 70, I hope my family members would quickly remove me from a public stage of possible self-induced humiliation if I become that cognitive decayed.
Is he really fit for office? Someone, please have mercy for him ASAP.
Mike Sawyer
Denver
USA
Lack of supervision in managing State
I am writing in reference to the article: ‘ HSE spending €43,400 a month on renting and cleaning Cork facility’ (Irish Examiner, online September 29).
Is this just another example of the lack of supervision in the way this country is managed? Is an email criticising one official of the HSE by another official the only ultimate record of the commitment of our public money?
The reaction to the concrete block levy is another example. It seems nobody questioned how or why non-standard materials were ever agreed to be used in the construction of housing, both public and private?
Barry Mahon
Sherkin Island
Planning flaws lead to housing crisis
In Ireland we have a serious shortage of houses — and what I cannot understand is why it is so difficult for people to get planning permission on their own land, there would be no problem with housing if that was sorted. Too many applications are being refused and that needs to change.
Pat Gill
Kilcolgan
Co Galway
Let parents teach values to children
I am writing to outline my disgust at the proposed curriculum changes to the SPHE and RSE — ‘ Proposed changes to sex education curriculum labelled ‘sickening’ in letters to department’ (Irish Examiner, online, September 20).This is indoctrination and grooming of our kids, teaching gender ideology.
Parents do not want this ideology taught to their kids. Parents are the primary teacher of values to their kids and this should never be taken away from them.
If this proposal goes ahead, I and countless other parents will take our kids out of these classes. Let teachers teach core subjects like maths, history, geography, etc, and let parents teach their preferred values.
Declan O’Reilly
Mullingar
Co Westmesth
Early exam stress
I’m a fourth year student in Skibbereen Community School. I’m want to highlight the introduction of sitting paper 1 of English and Irish exams in fifth year.
Why is the Department of Education putting us through unnecessary and unwanted stress? They presumed that we as students would prefer that but in fact they don’t even listen to our opinions.
I’m only in fourth year but I’m already feeling a bit stressed knowing I may have to do exams that are crucial
to succeed in life next year after already missing education due to Covid-19.
I wouldn’t feel confident doing these exams because of missing so much school and feel having these exams in fifth year are going to drag extra stress onto students into sixth year — something that no students wants.
From a student’s perspective It would be nice if for once our opinions would be put into consideration.
Lucy Stevens
Skibbereen
Co Cork
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