The People’s Letters Page

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

Dear Editor

As your paper supports all local issues I am writing to you. As a regular walker on this beautiful beach I am disappointed with it’s cleanliness of late. I have met with some ladies who take upon themselves to clean up all sorts because of the failure of DCC and all the equipment and machinery at their disposal.

Yesterday the shoreline was caked in rotten vegetation which could be raked up.  Finally, why are the large boulders still being moved around at the causeway entrance at , I’m sure, great time and expense.  They were placed years ago when cars were allowed to park on the beach. They have no purpose today.

Hoping you can draw attention to help clean up Dollymount….like Fingal clean Portmarnock!

Yours sincerely,

Joe Breen

Dear Editor,

An animal carrying 7000 quills is suffering greatly as a result of speed and careless driving.

Being quiet and gentle animals, many people are not very aware of their plight.

Our humble hedgehog is frequently being hit by cars on Irelands rural roads. I am aware of this as almost every day a poor animal is found alive and injured or dead on the roads of North County Dublin.

Usually easy to spot and unable to move in the centre of the road, many have leg injuries and/or nose and head injuries, regrettably most die unnecessarily at the hands of speeding careless drivers.

Resembling a football in shape they are easily hit twice on the road, and on further investigation it is easy to get them lifted into a car and brought to a veterinary surgeon.

Carelessness kills them and also speeding even more so.

When the poor injured animal is left alive on the road to be hit again it’s a sadder story.

This is pure ignorance and apathy. These animals need our assistance when hit and left to suffer.

I cannot believe they are so small that a driver cannot spot them, or feel their wheels hit them.

They are slow to move and have bad eyesight. Their young can be left to die alone which is callous to say the least, after causing them to suffer the very least that can be done is to check if they can be helped.

It is not asking a lot to look out diligently when driving to avoid wildlife.

It’s their world too, personally I think prosecutions should be given for lack of care towards wildlife on our roads.

In our gardens some water and food can be left out to help them survive.

It is distressing to find them unnecessarily suffering at the hands of man. These animals are nocturnal, if out in daylight they could bein need of help.

Many hedgehog rescues do exceptional work, they assist so many hedgehogs and their young.

Please consider looking out for these gentle creatures too, you can help them too.

Contact numbers for voluntary help groups are easily found online.

Consider being kind.

Bernie Wright

Shallon, The Ward

Dear Editor,

On Monday 26th July I had occasion to travel on the Luas between Upper Abbey Street and Store Street at 11:45 AM.

When I boarded the tram it was packed to capacity (358) like a tin of sardines from front to rear. Between the four doors of each carriage there were at least 16 people standing and all the seats were occupied and the Covid – 19 notices were removed.This happened when the Public Health Authorities (NEPHET) were warning the public of the grave danger of the rampant DELTA Variant of the COVID -19 virus.

There were no employees of the operators (Transdev) at the Jervis stop or at the Lower Abbey Street or Store Street stops and perhaps at the stops before the Jervis stop to control the amount of passengers boarding the Luas.

It looks like the Minister for Health has taken his eye off the ball along with Transdev and the Garda for this situation to happen, and this seems to be an everyday occurrence.

While some restrictions have been lifted and rigid conditions have been applied to the reopening of pubs and restaurants, it is imperative on the Minister for Health to impose firmer controls on public transport considering the huge inflow of people into Dublin City as a result of the lifting of Covid restrictions.

Yours sincerely,

Herbert F. Eyre

North Strand

Dear Editor,

We are writing to you to inform your readers of a Housing Protest which is due to take place at Arbour Hill, 2pm August 14.

This will be an overnight protest so bring a tent.

Lets take back our homes!

100s of 1000s of tenants are being hit by unprecedented hikes in rent, evictions and poor housing conditions.

100s of 1000s of people are stuck in family and extended relative’s homes, overcrowded accommodation and thousands are couch surfing and homeless.

As the housing struggle continues the landlords, developers and investors are sitting on empty homes and empty land; this is affecting us all, enough is enough!

The few in power have sat on their hands for too long as the many suffer.

The will to make real, meaningful change in housing provision is absent and those ‘nice-on-paper’ policies, such as rent pressure zones, are not translating to reality.

When your leaders lack leadership it’s time to take the reins; let’s take back our homes!

The housing crisis is an island wide problem. It affects different areas in different ways, but has similar causes and effects. This is why a strong, supportive movement across the entire island is so important.

MICA are a group of home owners lobbying to have their homes fixed.

We all have Muscovite Mica in the blocks of our homes.

It means that over time the blocks deteriorate, on both inner and outer walls.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael spend taxpayers money putting spikes outside government buildings and using diggers to remove homeless people’s tents, even if they’re sleeping in them at the time.

FF & FG will never do any good for anyone homeless.

It’s time for the movement to grow.

We’re calling on grassroots groups, housing activists, community groups nationwide to take action in their own areas.

Actions could be anything from pickets, info stalls, door knocking, protests, creative action to occupations.

This needs to be a turning point in the movement.

This needs to be the moment at which we mobilise together, en masse, and say enough is enough.

Kindest regards

Kieran O’ Grady,

Irelands Housing Action 32

Dear Editor,

After being a very willing participant in the OPW’s public consultation on the Phoenix Park you can imagine my disgust when I discovered that the planned restricting of cars in the park was to be scrapped.

I believe over 2,200 submissions were received with 74% of people supporting the view that the Phoenix Park roads are primarily for people visiting and working in the park.

In contrast only 8% of the submissions supported using the park as a commuter route.

So why did the OPW bother going to all the hassle of carrying out a public consultation then completely ignore what the public has said?

And who decided to plough ahead with this terrible idea to return the park to its previous incarnation as a main road/car park?

Thank you,

Michael Walsh,

Clondalkin