THE PEOPLE’S LETTERS PAGE

Dear Editor,

I am a member of the local Balbriggan swimming community.

A number of Balbriggan swimmers met recently to review the findings of the Bathing Water Management Plan for Front Strand Beach, Balbriggan (the “Plan”).

We were very disappointed with the public announcement, on 13 May 2022, by the Environmental Protection Agency that Balbriggan Beach was one of two bathing areas classified as “poor”.

This is a huge concern to the local swimming community and, I am sure, families who avail of the beach during the summer months.

We would like to understand further the basis of the “poor” rating for Balbriggan beach (“BB Beach”) given the very limited number of samples taken in 2020 and 2021 and, as we understand, some having been obtained after heavy rainfall.

We require additional information from Fingal County Council to be in a position to appreciate the causation of the issues impacting the water quality of BB Beach for the purpose of engaging and supporting corrective action measures that are being proposed.

Some of our observations and questions to the Council based on our review of the Plan are as follows:

Frequency of testing is not sufficient. Testing is required on a daily basis, will you arrange daily testing?

Can we have a breakdown of the percentage of human/ruminant /dog etc. faeces?

We have confirmation that the outflow from Wavin Lake to the Bracken River is clean?

Where does the contamination/pollution of the Bracken River commence?

Please outline the risk of illness to the swimming community of BB based on the current EPA assessment?

Please advise the purpose of the Local Authority Waters Programme Office? What work have they carried out to date?

Have any of the misconnections (please elaborate on what is meant by misconnections?) or infiltration sources, mentioned in the Plan, been identified?

Is it mainly slurry overflow that you have identified with respect to poor farm practices?

Has there been any enforcement action so far i.e. in the last 5 years in relation to farmers contravening environmental legislation? If so, how many farmers have been prosecuted? Is this public information?

What public body is responsible for the maintenance of environmental standards in the location of BB harbour?

If so, how does this impact on the harbour/sea water environment?

What repairs are required to the foul water network/pump stations? What are the repercussions of this pump currently requiring an upgrade e.g. illness to swimmers or children playing?

How frequently is pump maintenance conducted? Is there an issue with the rapid response system of any of the pump stations in BB? Perhaps the one in Quay Street?

Why the statement “may be included in future rehabilitation programmes”? Is a moderate risk not sufficient enough to be included?

Can you please provide us with the percentage breakdown for animal fouling?

Can you provide the information on the fines issued to dog owners for dogs soiling the beach or Bracken River in the last two years? Please provide the contact details for the BB dog warden.

Can maintenance be increased as the current set up is not fit for purpose? Can additional litter bins, including appropriate dog fouling bins, be placed on the beach?

We request that Fingal County Council meet with representatives of the local swimming community.

In the meantime, in the interest of the Balbriggan community, we will of course do everything possible to raise public awareness of the events that resulted in BB Beach being classified as “poor”.

Yours sincerely

Irene O’Connor

 

Dear Editor,

The famous economist John Maynard Keynes once said: “Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.”

I believe that we are currently living through the end times of capitalism.

While capitalism has helped create the conditions for the industrial revolution, the tech boom and lifted many of the peoples of the world out of poverty, over the past decade it has started to do more harm than good.

Vulture funds buying up homes, prioritisation of short-term profits for individuals over the long-term well-being of society, and fatal environmental damage to the planet are just some of the ‘gifts’ capitalism has bestowed on us here in Ireland.

Capitalism be killed off when society creates something better than what currently exists.

Even the super wealthy now know realise things cannot continue as they are.

When the very people whose labour creates your wealth can’t even afford to live anymore then the system has ceased to work.

The problem for the our rich capitalists is that even though most of them recognise what’s coming down the line, few are actually willing to take the steps necessary for change.

Yours sincerely,

James Carney,

Cabra.

 

Dear Editor.

I’m delighted to hear that Mexico City has permanently banned bullfighting. The largest bullring in the world is now set to close its doors to one of the worst forms of animal cruelty.

This respresents another milestone in the global battle against blood sports.

Unfortunately the downside of human nature still prevails elewhere: bulls continue to be tortured and stabbed to death in arenas to thunderous applause, bears are ripped apart by dogs in parts of Afghanistan, and animals are doused and petrol and ignited in so-called fiestas in Iberia, or thrown alive from high buildings to amuse onlookers.

Ireland doesnt have bullfighting or bear baiting, and the law doesn’t allow the goat at Puck Fair to be dropped from his plinth.

But we do have our national blood sports of hare coursing and fox hunting. Ireland is one of only a handful of countries that permit hare coursing, a dubious honour we share with Pakistan, where the “sport” is supervised by AK-47 wielding heavies who cater for security as the hares perform.

Unarmed gardai are on hand to safeguard coursing venues here, but the action inside is the same: Hares dodging death for human amusement, and getting mauled, forcibly struck, or tossed about like rag dolls in the process.

Our foxes don’t have to face a Matador with a swishing cape and a big medieval sword, but he has a fight on his hands to stay alive when a pack of baying hounds are set on his trail.

Nobody shouts “ole” when he’s cornered at the end of a long chase, having collapsed from exhaustion. But a well-heeled equestrian afficioanado might sip from his or her stirrup cup when this wild dog has the skin ripped from its bones.

Ireland led the world with the smoking ban. We should do the same on blood sports by allowing the fox and the hare to run free in the countryside, as nature intended.

Thanking you,

John Fitzgerald