What more proof is needed when an analysis of staffing level of Garda stations around the country shows that there was a drop of 23.4% — and up to 30% in some cases — in 133 garda stations out of 560.
That we have no fewer than 42 stations without any permanent garda attached to them is worrying but not surprising given the high-level of resignations (190), suspensions (115) and early retirements (340) of personnel.
This shortfall in Garda personnel has been going on for years yet no one in government or in Dàil Éireann has the bravery to challenge what is widely known.
The minister for justice, the Garda commissioner, and Policing Authority are responsible for this sad state of affairs yet their silence is deafening.
On top of this, the concerns of members of An Garda Síochána have over their personal safety, due to the increasing number of serious assaults carried out on members, and the unaffordability of living in large urban areas like Dublin, Cork, and other such centres, make this job unpalatable.
The diminution of discretion, and the increasing invasive and suffocating oversight, along with the fear factor that frontline members feel, constantly looking over their shoulders if they make a mistake, adds to a force in serious danger of being consumed by the very changes that were meant to bring it into the 21st century.
That we have these problems constantly highlighted in our press, media and by representative organisations, yet no action if any, but hyperbole and obfuscation from on high, indicates a system and culture of transformation more geared to academic influences and talking shops, and civil libertarian ideologies, while promoting the usual mantra of quotas and statistics, rather than the pillars and foundations that An Garda Síochána was orginally based on.
We need to halt this downward spiral by putting pressure on our elected officials and those in government before we end up with a garda force incapable of doing it’s job and “their moral authority as servants of the people” nullified.
Christy Galligan (Retd Gda Sgt)
Letterkenny
Co Donegal
Searching for picture of Nils football team
Friends, I am trying to find a photograph of the Nils football team, anytime 1901 to 1905 for an article in this year’s Holly Bough.
My grandfather played on the team and represented Cork in the All-Ireland final of 1901. He later became a referee and a member of the County Board.
Kieran Groeger
Summerdale Lawn
Youghal
Cork
Wasteful emissions of politicians’ jaunts
Will the Government pay taxes on the enormous carbon emissions generated by their expensive jaunts around the globe?
It would suit them better to stay here and use some backbone againstenergy providers who should be paying energy credits.
Those Chinese-made cameras will have little to record while the hicks are away; they won’t be missed.
Dr Florence Craven
Bracknagh
Co Offaly
Change Constitution, not number of TDs
Do we need more TDs? Of
course we do. That is what our Constitution says. When you get fat, you have to lose weight.
When you drive far, you have
to fill the tank. When the population rises by 500,000 people-plus, you need more TDs. Or you could change the Constitution. This is solution in search of a problem. I am baffled listening to people on the national airwaves arguing otherwise.
The system we have now has plenty things wrong with it. But the level and proportion of parliamentary representation allocated by the Constitution is not one of them. By and large, we have excellent politicians representing us on all points of the political spectrum.
Our democratic system is something at least 70 countries in the world envy, strive and long for. Some proportion. Please.
Michael Deasy
Bandon
Co Cork
Dail Éireann needs more women as TDs
Your editorial — ‘Additional TDs; Hard sell’ — (Irish Examiner, February 14) discusses the number of politicians we have and whether we should increase the numbers.
Compared to the rest of Europe we have more politicians relative to population than similar countries.
We had an opportunity to reduce the number when we had a referendum on the Seanad but we voted to continue that insider talking shop.
The biggest imbalance in our public representation is the fact that women, who are a majority in the electorate, have to put up with a Dáil that is nearly 80% male.
But since women themselves have had the power to change that at every election since independence it is unlikely that will be changed any time soon.
Anthony Leavy
Sutton
Dublin 13
No united fronton immigration
It is evident there is little unity within the coalition Government on the issue of immigration with the Green Party and Fine Gael parties at loggerheads over a united Government policy on the
issue.
What is needed is an immediate meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly to propose a comprehensive national policy on this vital issue.
Brendan Butler
Drumcondra
Dublin 9
Some positivity on Defence Forces
Delighted to see some positivity at last regarding defence and the Defence Forces. During an engagement with Cathal Berry TD this week at a Defence and Foreign Affairs committee meeting, Tanaiste Michael Martin confirmed the purchase of a Casa 295 transport aircraft. He has also made reference recently to looking at the issue of allowances and pensions for members of the Defence Forces.
After a decade of negativity regarding defence, where previous ministerial incumbents delivered little positivity, it is indeed refreshing to see that at last we may have a minister with the interest and drive to address the crisis in the Defence Forces.
I wish Tánaiste Michael Martin well and hopefully he will deliver for defence.
Conor Hogarty
Deansgrange
Blackrock
Co Dublin
Junior Certand sex education
Thanks to Jess Casey for her article on the proposed new Junior Cert SPHE curriculum with its Relationships and Sex Education components — ‘New changes to sex education for Junior Cycle students being finalised’ (Irish Examiner, online February 13).
Within our organisation, there has been significant distrust of the process by which the proposed new curriculum was devised.
Two points that particularly concerned us related to the very odd composition of National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) working
party.
In the first place, there was no male among the 13-member group. And secondly the requested nominee, from the Catholic sector (a male) was the only nominee rejected by the two-person NCCA selection panel.
There is widespread acceptance of much of the proposed curriculum. However, when it comes to what many consider to be a “gender ideology” that fails to accept the reality of biological sex, there is no such unanimity.
There are also serious reservations about what is described as “ethical pornography”.
Finally there is also a group of parents who want to ensure existing opt out possibilities are safeguarded.
Alan Whelan
President, Catholic Secondary
Schools Parents Association
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