The People’s Letters Page

Sir,

As a Dublin resident I write to express my dismay at the vocal complaints from a number of female politicians from Fine Gael and Fianna Fail about not being invited to speak at the rally at the Dail on March 5th called by the National Women’s Council to mark International Women’s Day.

The rally is highlighting childcare costs, the future of our new national maternity hospital, and violence against women.

Your readers should know that none of the FG/FF politicians complaining have spoken out on the new National Maternity Hospital being owned and governed by the state.

There can be no interference from the Catholic Church in the new hospital. Access to all reproductive health care is a crucial issue for women.

The few FG/FF politicians vociferously complaining should surely know that the four women women TD’s invited to address the rally – Roisin Shortall, Mary Lou McDonald, Brid Smith and Ivana Bacik have been campaigning for the new €1billion maternity hospital to be built on land owned by the state and for it to be run by the state.

On this basis alone the invited speakers have earned their right on the platform to address the rally.

The FG/FF female politicians should publicly declare their committment to the new maternity hospital being built on land owned by the state and that it be governed by the state.

Further, they should state they will vote in the Dail against any agreement that falls short of this.

On the basis of such a pledge being issued by them they would surely be welcomed on the rally platform.

Yours etc

Anne Conway

Donnycarney

Dublin

 

Dear Editor,

Dublin City Council is proposing to single out (by rezoning), and block one targeted group, religious orders, from seeking planning permission to build houses on religious order land.

This land was built up by Irish communities with Irish public support, over generations.

This rezoning proposal is bigoted, official anti-religious discrimination, in action.

This ludicrous Council anti housing zoning proposal will deny scarce built housing for people, in a chronic housing crisis.

Councillors/TDs who support this ludicrous, blatantly discriminatory, anti-housing zoning proposal, shoud be voted from office.

In truth, one suspects that the real Councillor agenda here is driven by anti-religious bigotry to seize Church lands cheap (much like English King Henry the 8th did), than concern for housing people. Perhaps, the Councilors/TDs involved should liquidate their OWN properties, assets & salaries first to house the poor?

Lead by example first, how about, rather than land grabbing others?

Or even building houses for people on Councils already owned land, after decades of failing to do so, to provide housing for citizens? That would be more impressive.

Oliver Maher

313 Harold’s Cross Rd, D6w

 

Dear Editor,

For those who ask: “Why does Ukraine matter? “

This is why Ukraine matters.

It is the second largest country by area in Europe by area and has a population

of over 40 million – more than Poland.

Ukraine ranks:

1st in Europe in proven recoverable reserves of uranium ores;

2nd place in Europe and 10th place in the world in terms of titanium

ore reserves;

2nd place in the world in terms of explored reserves of manganese ores

2nd largest iron ore reserves in the world (30 billion tons);

2nd place in Europe in terms of mercury ore reserves;

3rd place in Europe (13th place in the world) in shale gas reserves

4th in the world by the total value of natural resources;

7th place in the world in coal reserves (33.9 billion tons)

1st in Europe in terms of arable land area;

3rd place in the world by the area of black soil (25% of world’s volume);

1st place in the world in exports of sunflower and sunflower oil;

2nd place in the world in barley production and 4th place in barley exports;

3rd largest producer and 4th largest exporter of corn in the world;

4th largest producer of potatoes in the world;

5th place in the world in bee production (75,000 tons);

8th place in the world in wheat exports;

9th place in the world in the production of chicken eggs;

Ukraine can meet the food needs of 600 million people.

1st in Europe in ammonia production;

Europe’s 2nd’s and the world’s 4th largest natural gas pipeline system;

3rd largest in Europe and 8th largest in the world in terms of

installed capacity of nuclear power plants;

3rd place in Europe and 11th in the world in terms of rail network

length (21,700 km);

3rd place in the world (after the U.S. and France) in production of

locators and locating equipment;

3rd largest iron exporter in the world

4th largest exporter of turbines for nuclear power plants in the world;

4th world’s largest manufacturer of rocket launchers;

4th place in the world in clay exports

4th place in the world in titanium exports

8th place in the world in exports of ores and concentrates;

9th place in the world in exports of defence industry products;

10th largest steel producer in the world (32.4 million tons).

Ukraine matters. That is why its independence is important to the rest of the world.

Regards,

John Smyth

Dear Editor.

I was heartened to learn recently that Shelbourne Park may be developed for housing, possibly putting an end to greyhound racing in the capital.

I hope it does indeed have that effect, for the sake of the thousands of unfortunate greyhounds that are culled every year, or dumped (dead or alive), or exported to dodgy jurisdictions because they don’t run fast enough or have outlived their value to the an industry that thrives on gambling and indulges in massive over-breeding to produce winners.

I’ll celebrate on the day building starts on those houses.

Greyhounds can’t speak, but if they knew about the proposed housing development at Shelbourne Park they’d certainly be wagging their tails or doing little victory laps at the news that a vile dog-killing industry had just been torpedoed.

Coincidentally, I see that in response to a Dail question from Deputy Paul Murphy the Housing Minister (who also issues coursing licenses), revealed that more than 59,000 thousand hares were captured with nets in Ireland since 2009.

Not for scientific purposes or as part of any pest-control drive, but so that so-called sportspeople could set dogs on them.

How nice it would be for our persecuted Irish Hare if developers would direct their attention to fields on which coursing events are organised.

These are quite spacious and would be ideal for housing.

With so many people crying out for homes in the midst of a national housing crisis, I suggest that all the coursing fields be given up for this purpose.

Then, instead of serving as venues where hares are terrorised, mauled, or have their bones crushed; for human amusement, the land would be helping decent humans find accommodation and maybe their dream homes: A win-win for everyone, except those who make life for dogs and hares alike a veritable hell on earth.

Thanking you,

John Fitzgerald