THE PEOPLE’S LETTERS PAGE

Dear Editor,

On behalf of our wonderful, dusty feathered, flying friend’s, our well-fed but thirsty birdys, may I appeal to all of you two legged lovers of the sweet, and some not so sweet, songsters that keep company with us, cheering us up with their dawn chorus and their awesome aeronautical displays to put out a water bowl (shallow) for them in this long, hot, dry, summertime so they may slake their thirst and take bath too. We give feed sure but most often neglect to give water.

The puddles have all dried up and rivers are few and far between which results in their having to enter into other birds’ territory which is very stressful for all concerned.

Maybe the shopping malls, business parks and shops could do so also and turn this concrete jungle a little more eco friendly…they do say if you make someone’s day a happy day, you’ll have a happy day.

Thanking you,

JJ Hadenough

 

Dear Editor

I wish to have my huge concern noted and that is in regards to An Bord Pleanála, that following recent allegations and resignation, I have no faith in An Bord Pleanála, to be independent and make independent decisions, and that this and all planning should go through council planners until full public faith can be restored in An Bord Pleanála.

This can only be done through a full and independent review and investigation of An Bord Pleanála and all decisions made by An Bord Pleanála in the last few years. Until this happens.

Neither I or my constituents have any faith in the planning process of An Bord Pleanála to deliver fair and independent planning decisions.

Go raibh maith agat,

Cllr Francis Timmons

Clondalkin Area Chair 2021-2022

 

Dear Editor,

I see that Dublin Zoo has vehemently denied allegations about alleged conditions and activities at the facility highlighted by Labour Senator Anne Hoey.

Without getting into the details of this controversy or the conflicting claims, I have to say I’ve never felt comfortable with the idea of confining wild animals in captivity just for humans to gawk at.

I know we’ve heard that zoos have come on a lot since Victorian times…the cages are bigger, and the captives have more space to move around. But a mighty elephant belongs in his natural domain in the Asian or African jungle, not served up as an exotic wonder for tourism.

The same can be said of other creatures, great and small. How sad to see the mighty King of the Jungle, the lion, brought so low…abducted from the wild and forced to end his days behind bars, a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Coincidentally, this month the government may again grant a license permitting the capture of thousands of hares for coursing. These wild creatures will also be snatched from their natural habitats and then held in unnatural captivity, before being forced to run from pairs of salivating dogs.

Again, humans will come along to watch and enjoy seeing these animals perform, regardless of the impact on the unfortunate hares. In all but four counties hares will be hounded within the confines of parks or wired enclosures while gamblers whoop with delight or mark their betting cards.

It’s time we stopped interfering with the lives of wild creatures and let then live out their lives, long or short, in peace. They belong in the wild, not in cages… large or small.

Coursing should be a thing of the grisly past and so should zoos. Occasionally we hear the “good news” that a new animal has been born, or given birth, in a zoo, or that most or all of the hares at a particular coursing fixture managed to avoid getting mauled or battered.

But the only good news I want to hear about either zoos or the coursing “industry” is that both of them have shut down.

Thanking you,

John Fitzgerald

 

Dear Editor,

It has been reported that three Ministers will decide the fate of the 2022/2023 hare coursing season.

The decision, to issue a licence or not, to allow coursing clubs capture live hares for abuse during the winter months based coursing season fall due in early August.

Is the imprimatur of two senior Ministers and a junior Minister really required to decide on a very simple issue?

Live hare coursing should be banned.

How clear can this request be made to assist the making of a political decision?

Political constipation might be eased if a relevant Minister drew a mind map on the back of the hare coursing licence application file.

In the middle of the page should be written-hare coursing licence. From this text lines can be drawn setting out the following points:

Live hare coursing is animal baiting.

Live hare coursing is conducted in a law breaking and drug-based culture.

Represents a danger to the long-term viability of the hare population.

The Irish Hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus) s facing a viable threat from a species population impacting disease (RHD2).

Vast majority of Irish people want live hare coursing banned.

British conceived, born and bred live hare coursing is a cuckoo child of Irish cultural heritage.

It should not tax three great political minds viewing this completed mind map to conclude that any one of these points is justification to refuse the hare coursing licence application.

Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom have banned this foul activity so it falls to the Republic of Ireland to continue the cruel tradition of hare coursing.

Three politicians making a decision creates the image of a game known as ‘Pass the Political Decision Parcel’.

When the music stops the Irish Hare will know its fate.

To wipe clean a stain on our culture or will the screams of dying hares continue to provide the soundtrack to Ireland’s moronic attitude to wild animal welfare.

Yours,

John Tierney

Campaigns Director

Association of Hunt Saboteurs

PO Box 4734

Dublin 1