The People’s Letters Page

Here is this week’s People’s Letters Page…

Dear Editor,

The most significant social mal influence in the whole arena of life and culture today is modernism’s constant and, I believe, orchestrated call for the uprooting of sexual intercourse from its primary raison d’etre.

That being the Godly gifting of existence and consequential nurturing of newborn human life in families created by parents in love.

There is no other human relationship in which all of the traits, virtues and inspirations essential to the creating of civilized life are sourced and constantly employed.

Commitment and support and encouragement of one another, protection of the younger ones by more mature siblings, regard for just authority bequeathed by parental regard, disapproval of and correction of misbehaviour coupled to forgiveness, expectation and appreciation of improvement, the constancy and longevity of parents’ love of one another and for their progeny, confidence in the future gifted by grand parental serenity coupled to a growing appreciation by their grandchildren of the exemplar integrity of their longer life witness to good.

The wellbeing of society could not but benefit from participation of citizens nurtured and ennobled in this well source of joy, generosity, integrity and goodness.

A well source of surety no politician or psychologist could so secure.

In fact it is the dismissal and even denigration of the family as the essential source and bonding influence in the nurturing of just and caring social mores that is a primary cause of the present day morass in which so many western world societies are ensnared.

Colm Ó Tórna,

Ard Aidhin,

Baile Átha Cliath.

Dear Editor,

The most recent Census in 2016 recorded 198,000 homes vacant nationally, excluding holiday homes, with over 35,000 of them here in Dublin.

This offers a ready-made supply which should be utilised as homes for people by the Government.

It is utterly incomprehensible that over 8% of homes in Dublin are vacant when shamefully 79 people died on our streets last year and so many more are struggling to source affordable accommodation.

Unbelievably rents are still at sky-high levels which is remarkable considering that 1 million people are receiving some form of state support due to the effects of Covid-19 on their livelihoods and society, this is due in no small part to the sinister activity of corporate landlords.

Locally, In the Mount Argus development in Harold’s Cross owned by Patrizia, a German Real Estate fund, rents are starting at €2,000 for a 1-bedroom apartment.

At least half of their 180 apartments are deliberately kept vacant to inflate the property value on their balance sheet and artificially maintains the sky-high rents.

This is an all too common practice across the city as Kennedy Wilson, Beverly Hills based vultures, brought in to Ireland by Fine Gael’s policies, who also don’t pay any tax on their rental income, have over 90 of their 190 homes in Capital Dock, Dublin 2 and 200 out of 246 homes in Clancy Quay, Dublin 8 vacant”

A Vacant Home Tax would force these homes back into the market and the increased supply will help reduce rents for people in desperate need of a home and also generate a revenue stream that should be directed into building sustainable public housing.

One example recently, Barcelona council told 14 companies that own 194 vacant apartments if they weren’t rented out within a month the City would then purchase the apartments at half the market value to use as public housing, now that’s a solution, it’s well beyond time that a Vacant Home Tax was introduced in Ireland.

Peter Dooley,

Independent Representative and Co-Founder of Dublin Renters’ Union

Dear Editor,

I admire the great sporting achievements of Jimmy Barry Murphy, as a hurler and footballer and tireless advocate of Gaelic Game.

His place in the GAA’s eternal Hall of Fame is assured. On the pitch he was a talent to be reckoned with, as our mighty Kilkenny team discovered once or twice to its cost.

But I can’t speak as approvingly of Jimmy Barry’s recent public defence of the embattled greyhound industry.

He repeated the industry’s official line that most greyhound owners are fine people, with just a few bad apples giving the game a negative image.

But it isn’t a handful of shady individuals causing problems: It’s over-breeding. This leads to abandonment and killing of unwanted dogs.

The missing 6000 greyhounds referred to in the RTE Primetime Investigates report two years ago didn’t just disappear into the Irish version of the Bermuda Triangle.

The industry also encompasses hare coursing.

The hare does occasionally find itself being propelled skyward like a sloither on a hurling field, but any comparison with real sport ends there. It’s an unfortunate animal, not a ball; that gets whacked.

Jimmy Barry also highlighted how sponsors of greyhound racing have withdrawn support owing to “intimidation.”

This is an unfair depiction of the campaigns focusing on animal cruelty and malpractice within the industry.

I am familiar with the various animal protection groups and I’ve heard or seen nothing that would lend credence to this allegation that industry reps have been touting in recent days. People are entitled to contact commercial sponsors of any activity they disapprove of.

Whether they do so by email or phone it’s perfectly legitimate, provided no threatening, violent, or otherwise imappropriate language is used.

Pressure groups exist specifically to exert pressure. Nobody of course likes to be on the receiving end of pressure; whether a company backing an unpopular cause or enterprise, or a sportsperson fending off a big challenge on the pitch.

Jimmy Barry’s decision to draw attention to the impact of campaigning on sponsorship of greyhound racing was tactically not a very wise one, as it surely must encourage anyone who wondered if his or her pressure tactics were working.

For possibly the first time in his life, the great sportsman may have scored an Own Goal.

Thanking you,

Sincerely,

John Fitzgerald

Callan

Kilkenny

Dear Editor,

“The case of Southsider prevented from leaving China raised with Eu” (Southside People February 17) highlighting the fate of Irishman Richard O’Halloran currently detained in China, merits further comment.

Richard O’Halloran, a 45-year-old father of four from south County Dublin, has been curtailed from exiting The People Republic of China after he became embroiled in legal wrangling involving the Chinese owner of a Dublin-based aircraft leasing company he previously worked for.

He is obligated to furnish $36 million (€29.7 million) to the Chinese authorities before being allowed to exit China.

The Foxrock native has not been accused of anything sinister and has willingly assisted the Chinese in their prosecution of Min Jiedong, the owner of Dublin firm China International Aviation Leasing Service imprisoned for allegedly defrauding Chinese investors in a pecuniary scheme to purchase an aircraft now on lease to a Finnish airline.

Richard O’Halloran is currently ensconced in his hotel to ward off the possibility of contracting Covid-19 due to an underlying lung ailment.

Given the comparative size of Ireland and China it beggars belief that such skullduggery is being deployed against this individual to force him into performing an unlawful act.

It is imperative that Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney ensures the absolute safe return of Richard O’Halloran to his wife and four children.

Yours sincerely,

Gerry Coughlan,

Kilnamanagh, Dublin 24.