Letters to the Editor: Garda boss links rise in number of thefts to high inflation levels

An activist demonstrates near the entrance of the Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Centre, during the Cop27 climate summit opening. Picture: Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

The garda commissioner’s statement that the rise in the number of thefts is linked to the cost-of-living crisis is an astonishing claim to make and one that needs to be challenged.

Never in all my years of service have I ever heard a senior manager in An Garda Síochána conflate the two.

The reality of the rise in crime is due to a number of different factors:

• Lack of adequate on-the-ground resources;
• Increased resignations;
• Restrictions on necessary overtime;
• Lack of recruitment;
• Pensions or lack of for those entering after 2013;
• Restrictions on career breaks;
• Deployments to new oversight units;
• Increased use of resources overseeing computer crime inputting;
• New rosters being imposed on specialised units;
• Nepotism in the higher ranks.

Yet we have a minister and a commissioner refusing to admit or acknowledge that there is a crisis within the force. 

Using inflation as a reason for an increase in crime is a false flag and a diminution of responsibility by this commissioner.

Christy Galligan (retired garda sergeant)

Letterkenny

Co Donegal

Access issues for historic rugby match

How very wonderful that Munster Rugby could host South Africa in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. 

As anyone lucky enough to have been in Croke Park when England’s rugby team visited in 2007 will remember that opening up was an empowering, enriching experience for everyone involved. Thursday’s event was no different.

What a pity then that Cork City did not rise to the challenge.

No shuttle busses, no service from the Kinsale Road park-and-ride to the Marina, just a long trudge beyond the ability of many of those who would have loved to attend this historic event. 

If Cork is to ever host European Cup rugby — assuming Munster are still involved — a way must be found to make the venue accessible to all, not just those as fit as the players.

Drive on Munster!

Jack Power

Inniscarra

Cork

Personal injury lawyers losing out

There is a dangerous ambiguity at the heart of the comments from the legal profession in the article — ‘Fears personal injury awards for minor injuries will not cover medical costs due to inflation’ (Irish Examiner, September 29).

The ambiguity is well summarised in the headline. But we are happy to report that the special damages awarded in personal injury cases are structured to automatically take account of all and any increases in the cost of living, particularly on important costs such as medical bills.

The general damages under attack in the article, as guided by the judicial guidelines, do not cover any aspect of personal injuries subject to cost-of-living increases. Rather they are meant as compensation for pain and suffering. 

As it stands in Ireland, they remain at multiples of what is offered for similar injuries in similar jurisdictions and are on offer more readily, given our entirely unbalanced duty of care regime.

However, the reforms currently being implemented mean that lawyers will no longer extract over €350m a year in fees from the personal injuries industry.

Peter Boland, director

Alliance for Insurance Reform

McDonald tangled in web of hypocrisy

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is once again tangled up in her own web of hypocrisy.

She seems to believe it is right for her to condemn certain acts while continuing to refuse to condemn murders carried out by the IRA — the armed wing of Sinn Féin.

When she refuses or fails to condemn those within the IRA who murdered members of An Garda Síochána, then one must assume she condones such actions.

She now says there is a difference in IRA murders and murders carried out by gangland criminals. I say murder is murder.

Mary Lou McDonald took over as leader of Sinn Féin from a man who expounded the belief of ‘the ballot box in one hand and the armalite in the other’.

To quote Liam Griffin (former All-Ireland winning Wexford hurling manager) at a recent garda book launch in Wexford: “If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas”.

Tony Fagan (garda retired)

Enniscorthy

Co Wexford

Fr Sheehy wasn’t ‘just doing his job’

I refer to the letter — ‘Fr Sheehy was just doing his job’ (Irish Examiner, November 7) by Micheál Ó Fearghail from Glanmire in relation to Fr Sheehy’s outrageous sermon in Listowel on Sunday, October 30.

Maybe the writer of this letter should be censured along with the priest who stood on an altar and proceeded to have a swipe at, among others, the gay community.

Everybody has freedom of choice, and the last time I looked at a calendar, we are still in the 21st century.

If he was “just doing his job” why were his bosses apologising for his pontificating and censuring him?

Ciarán MC Carthy

Ballinlough

Cork

Groundhog days of clerical sex abuse

Just when you think that the era of clerical sex abuse is over it inevitably returns as a groundhog day to haunt the institutional Catholic Church, retraumatise its many victims and survivors, and scandalise people of faith.

The same pattern as previously adopted by Church authorities to protect its image has re-emerged in the Spiritan abuse cases — ‘Brothers abused at Blackrock College demand apology’ (Irish Examiner, November 8) — the abuser is moved on to prey on further vulnerable people.

However, the exporting of its abusing priest to Africa adds a further depth of depravity.

It was not a one-off exclusive move adopted solely by the Spiritan order; it was a common strategy used by religious orders to get rid of its troublesome priests.

Brendan Butler

Drumcondra

Dublin 9

Climate conference a calculated cop-out

Cop27 currently under way in Egypt is taking place against a backdrop of extreme weather events. 

There have been multiple scientific reports over many years stating clearly that the world is not doing enough to tackle rising carbon emissions with the consequences often felt most severely by those nations and peoples least able to cope. This we already know beyond any doubt.

Was any consideration at all given to the carbon emissions accrued in setting up this conference and then having most of the world’s political leaders, associated civil servants, global media, and others make the journey to Egypt and home again? Will anything new actually emerge from this climate gathering?

As wealthy nations compete to choreograph announcements of huge financial aid packages for the nations most affected by climate-related disasters, it will not be lost on many that these announcements could be made remotely. Finally, whatever happened to the promises made at Cop26?

Stephen O’Hara

Carrowmore

Sligo