THE PEOPLE’S LETTERS PAGE

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

Dear Ed,

Dublin City Councillors, & some TDs, whose housing failure for years, gave us our housing crisis, now want to re-zone Church land to prevent it being used to build houses and to impoverish the Church, it’s services, parishes, clergy and people.

Some propose seizing such assets, Henry the 8th style, built by poor Catholics pennies since Penal times, compulsorily.

This land grab agenda is driven by 1) hostile anti Catholic bigotry 2) political bigots anxiety to cover up their own decades of housing failures by scapegoating the Church for their own neglect.

We’ll wait a long time before we see such politicians sacrifice their own fat salaries or valuable properties to alleviate the chronic housing crisis they created.

They still sit on State owned, tax payer land which right now could be used for housing.

Anti Catholic political bigots should be electorally removed. Their bigoted Church land grab agenda requires legal challenge and public rejection.

Yours

Oliver Maher

Harold’s Cross Rd D6w

Dear Editor.

Great to hear of another milestone in the worldwide battle against animal cruelty: On March 28th a motion calling for a ban on greyhound racing was debated in the UK parliament.

The debate was prompted by an e petition signed by over 100,000 people demanding a managed shutdown of Britain’s greyhound industry.

Though the motion didn’t pass this was the first time parliament had addressed the horrific record of cruelty, neglect, and rampant corruption that has dogged the industry, the same problems that beset the “sport” elsewhere.

Greyhound racing is in terminal decline in the few countries that still permit it.

It’s legal in only three American states following a ban in Florida where the majority of the USA’s tracks were located.

One Australian state has banned it, with big majorities in the remaining states backing abolition.

Last year New Zealand’s government put the country’s greyhound industry on notice: If it doesn’t clean up its act it faces shutdown.

Ireland, unfortunately, has an even worse greyhound industry than the UK or any other country.

An RTE documentary two years ago exposed widespread animal welfare abuses, and massive over-breeding that has led to culling and abandonment of dogs.

Not content with just permitting this appalling pastime, successive governments have kept it afloat with huge State subsidies, even during the austerity years when cutbacks hit the most essential services and targeted the poorest in society.

But the Irish industry also encompasses hare coursing, a practise that even pariah states not noted for their animal welfare standards have long since abolished.

It’s bad enough to subject innocent dogs to a hell on earth for gambling and entertainment, but our government also allows the capture of hares for use as live bait at what amount to pubic exhibitions of cruelty.

Instead of waiting for the UK to legislate against greyhound racing, and then playing catch-up I suggest that our government considers giving a lead, as Ireland did so brilliantly with the smoking ban.

For the sake of dog and hare alike, let’s shut down this Chamber of Horrors.

Thanking you,

John Fitzgerald

Dear Editor,

The recent announcement of price hikes by our supplier of electricity has united the country in its anger towards ESB.

Am I crazy to think it is totally outrageous that Electric Ireland can increase prices when the ESB made profits of €679m in 2021?

Surely the Government can step in and stop Electric Ireland from increasing electricity prices by 23% and gas prices by 25% on May 1.

I think they can even use the emergency clause in the Consumer Protection Act to freeze energy prices if they feel its justified.

In an ideal world ESB would be instructed to operate on a break-even basis for as long as the inflation crisis lasts.

How can the Government stand aside and do nothing when the State is the owner of the ESB?

Why do we elect these people to look out for us when they can’t even regulate the price of energy?

And where is the regulator in all of this?

Did they approve the increase?

Whatever about the price of the electricity, why is the standing charge also increasing?

This is an utter disgrace, in all my life I don’t think I’ve ever seen price increases like this.

Yours sincerely,

Gerard Gildea,

Mulhuddart,

Dublin 15

Dear Editor,

While it was great to hear this week that our government had expelled four Russian diplomats from Ireland it’s a pity it took so long to happen.

We are in week number 5 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine lets remember.

And why stop at just four diplomats?

Throw them all out, now!

I can’t believe however that the Russian Ambassador, who was expertly filleted by David McCullagh on RTE, is being allowed to stay on in this country.

How can the Ambassador of a country that has illegally invaded another sovereign nation be allowed remain in Ireland?

And why are there so many diplomats in the Russian Embassy on Orwell Road and what are they up to?

I think we have a right to know.

Yours sincerely,

James Carney,

Cabra