Conor Brady was correct to air the difficult questions that Michael D Higgins will have to answer during the presidential campaign (Comment, September 16). As he says, “Honouring one’s word is important in public life, particularly in an office that is supposed to be above party politics”. This is especially so when the pledge to seek one term was used as leverage to gain support from the electorate in 2011.
During his term as president he has made a number of gaffes, not least of which was the eulogy delivered on the death of the firing-squad expert Fidel Castro, who was responsible for killing thousands of Cuban citizens.
Higgins ignored the history of forced labour camps and religious repression; the torturing, killing and imprisonment of innocent citizens. He described Castro as “a giant among global leaders, whose view was not only one of freedom for his people but for all the oppressed and excluded peoples of the planet”.
We are much better off without your idea of freedom, Michael D.
M Dillon, Shanballymore
Long and the short of it
Paul Horan’s extolment of the current incumbent in the race for the Aras was stirring stuff, replete with vivid imagery of Michael D putting manners on those nasty businessmen from Dragons’ Den (“Higgins has fire to slay Dragon foes”, Letters, last week). However I found his assertion that Michael D “stands head and shoulders above the other potential candidates” a trifle hyperbolic. Daniel Kelly, Drogheda
Wise investment
So the Irish presidency gets a “party allowance” of more than €300,000 a year. It seems the wining and dining of the world’s elite doesn’t come cheap. Given the lack of oversight, we can only hope that it’s money well spent.
Hopefully the foreign dignitaries leave the Aras completely satisfied. After all, the Irish economy is still heavily reliant on outside support to keep things ticking over.
Brendan Corrigan, Bogota, Colombia
In it to win it
Brenda Power extols Bunty Twuntingdon-McFuff’s credentials for the presidency (Comment, last week) which are indeed admirably authentic and disarmingly direct. But I, too, would like to be president of Ireland. It seems everyone else is capable of doing it, so why can’t I?
It’s a race after all, and I can run. Quick sprint or long-distance. Without putting my foot in my mouth, which could trip me up. I’ll stay the course or change course, whatever it takes. I haven’t actually planned a route. There could be swerves and U-turns ahead. Not sure what I’ll do if I win. Not to worry, I’ll think of something then. Doubts are for also-rans.
Talking a good game is as important as running a good race but in contrast to plucky Bunty I’m not interested in the fancy residence and luxury car, travel, salary, expenses and pension. Although I do deserve those, since this is supposed to be a race to the top, not to the bottom. I think.
Anyway, do vote for me. I’m the best. Ever. That’s a fact. Well, mine anyway.
Patricia Mulkeen, Ballinfull, Sligo
Cracking on
Although Michael D would appear to be the most accomplished candidate, and the likely winner, his “about-turn” decision to run is almost unforgivable. His promise of one term only certainly contributed towards his initial election to the post, so surely he should now be deemed ineligible — hoist with his own self-proclaimed petard.
But who wouldn’t want another crack at spending up to €8m each year, travelling the globe in luxury, and hosting posh parties in palatial surrounds? It’s the stuff of fantasy and fable.
Patrick Cosgrove, Lismore, Co Waterford
Taken off guard
The fact that an intruder managed to gain access to the private office of President Higgins is an amazing failure by the gardai (“Garda inquest after activist strolls past Aras security”, News, last week). How, in today’s environment of guarding against terrorism, could this be allowed to happen?
We are quickly losing faith in the gardai, an organisation that is top-heavy with management and barely existent on our streets. Oh, there will be an inquiry. There hardly needs to be one. Just fire anyone who was responsible for dereliction of duty.
John O’Connor, Galway
Blasphemy law must be repealed
We are human rights activists, writers and campaigners for equality, committed to freedom and peace. We have all been threatened with fines, imprisonment, torture or death for blasphemy in our countries. In some cases, our friends, family, and colleagues have been brutally murdered.
Our plight may seem distant to your daily concerns but it is linked. It makes our work that bit more difficult when western democratic countries maintain laws that criminalise debate, satire and criticism concerning religious beliefs.
The existence of blasphemy laws in European democracies such as Ireland gives cover to the laws under which we are persecuted around the world. At the same time it lends false legitimacy to the extremists who claim blasphemy is a sin that warrants intimidation and murder.
Blasphemy laws are not hate-speech laws and can never work that way. That’s because they potentially criminalise legitimate free expression about religious beliefs, practices, institutions or representatives; expression which is often morally necessary.
In your referendum on October 26, the Irish people can send a clear signal to the global family of nations that blasphemy laws contravene the human rights to freedom of thought and of expression and should be repealed. We appeal to you to seize this opportunity, in solidarity with all those people persecuted under blasphemy accusations.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/#section-ireland Alexander Aan, Indonesia; Bonya Ahmed, Bangladesh (now United States); Choity Ahmed, Bangladesh (now Germany); Rana Ahmed, Saudi Arabia (now Germany); Waleed Al-Housseini, Palestine (now France); Mubarak Bala, Nigeria; Ahmedur Rashid Chowdhury, Bangladesh (now Norway); Kacem El Ghazzali, Morocco (now Switzerland); Ensaf Haidar, Saudi Arabia (now Canada); Fauzia Ilyas, Pakistan (now Netherlands); Gulalai Ismail, Pakistan; Siti Kasim, Malaysia; Azam Khan, Bangladesh; Filippos Loizos, Greece; Asif Mohiuddin, Bangladesh (now Germany); Taslima Nasrin, Bangladesh (now India); Alber Saber, Egypt (now abroad); Mohamed Salih, Sudan (now Uganda); Prithu Sanyal, Bangladesh (now Germany); R A Sattar, Pakistan (now New Zealand); Amed Sherwan, Iraq (now Germany); Thessalonika Pride, organizing committee, Greece; Malaysian Atheists and Secular Humanists, Malaysia
Roman Brexit was not a deal
Simon Jenkins says that in AD410, England left the Roman Empire (“Never quite in, never quite out — the nine lives of Brexit”, News Review, last week). “Emperor Honorius withdraws his legions to defend Gaul,” he writes.
Honorius did not withdraw Roman legions. Rather, in 407, a usurper named Constantine III took the British-based Roman field army across to continental Europe in an attempt to seize the western imperial throne.
Jenkins is not the first to make the mistake. The confusion arises from a medieval transcription error of a 5th-century text by the historian Zosimus, who mistook Britain for Bruttium in southern Italy.
Dr Chris Doyle, School of Humanities, National University of Ireland, Galway
Time to move on over abortion
David Quinn should give us a break and stop banging on about a lost cause — it becomes boring (“Nobody should rejoice when the unborn die”, Comment, last week). The democratic wish of the vast majority of the population is opposed to his outdated dogma on abortion.
While previously the theocracy prevailed, and a stunted dictate was imposed on all, the new Ireland will honour the people’s decision as expressed in the referendum result. Nobody will be allowed to thwart our health minister as they did one of his predecessors, Dr Noël Browne.
James Sweeney, Kingston upon Thames, London
Courting trouble
Quinn highlights serious issues with the government’s approach of “no change” to its proposed abortion legislation, which needs to be teased out in the legislature before any bill is passed.
Ministers should know from the experience of the 1983 referendum that certainty in law is an illusion. For example, the absolute right of a pregnant woman to terminate her pregnancy at any time up to 12 weeks may not prove to be upheld in the courts. The rights of the father, which have so far received little attention in the debate, may need to be considered in certain circumstances.
A failure to consider such competing rights could allow for a successful legal challenge — and it would indeed be ironic if the right to life of the unborn was upheld by the courts by virtue of the father’s right to have his child.
Kieran Coughlan, Foxrock, Dublin 18
Schools guide for dunces
The only criterion used for your schools guide (last week) is the “average proportion of pupils gaining places in autumn 2015, 2016 and 2017” at one of the nine universities in Ireland, the main teacher-training colleges, etc. Factors such as the variety of extracurricular activities, the number of foreign languages, sport and civic achievements have not been used.
The monolithic approach in constructing this (not) definitive schools guide brings to mind the case of The Animal School — a story by Leo Buscaglia. A rabbit, bird, squirrel, fish and eel decided to start a school and formed a board of education. The rabbit insisted that running be in the curriculum, the bird insisted that flying be included, the fish said swimming, and the squirrel wanted perpendicular tree climbing. They insisted that all of the animals take all of the subjects.
The animal who was valedictorian of the class was a mentally retarded eel who did everything in a halfway fashion. But the educators were all happy because everybody was taking all of the subjects, and it was called a broad-based education.
Dr Ioannis Zabetakis, Head of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick
Points
Freedom of thought at risk
If one were asked to name the most tolerant, progressive, liberal organisation open to seeking the truth in this country, by its own declaration it would be The Phil debating society at Trinity College, Dublin. And yet according to John Burns (Atticus, last week) it cancelled a debate about whether Middle Eastern women need western feminism as it was “insensitive”.
This was substituted with a motion “that this House regrets the decline of communism”. Critics then complained to The Phil that this was “insensitive to the millions of people murdered by communist governments”. All this after the Trinity provost recently said: “The primary job of a university is to explore the unthinkable.”
There has not been a word of protest about this from the faculty at Trinity or the office of the provost or academics elsewhere. Ironically, this was the same weekend that newspapers asked government and the public to strengthen a free and responsible media in Ireland for future generations.
Vincent J Lavery, Irish Free Speech Movement, Dalkey, Co Dublin
Paving paradise
The refusal of planning permission for 500 houses in Raheny, north Dublin was a victory for those who want to protect their “property values and views”, according to John Burns (Atticus, last week). In fact, many of us don’t want to see our living spaces being turned into concrete and cobblelock wastelands, crammed with cramped, lookalike housing.
Some of Dublin’s new suburbs must be among the most dismal places in Europe. An Australian visitor had an apt description: glorified parking lots.
Michael Harper, Castle Terrace, Clontarf, Dublin 5
Sorry argument
In the article “Black ‘47 shoots up British box office on Irish receipts alone” (News, last week) an academic says there has “never been an apology” for the Famine. This is incorrect; the former UK prime minister Tony Blair issued one in 1997.
However, why should any English person or politician alive today have to apologise for something that has nothing to do with them? Similarly, no Irish person alive has been directly affected by the Famine and so is in no need of an apology. If we accept the ludicrous idea that guilt for injustices can be inherited, and that one’s ethnicity amounts to guilt by association, that would make every Irish person complicit in IRA terrorism.
My English friends no more owe me an apology for the Famine than I owe them one for the Birmingham pub bombings.
Andrew Devine, Dublin
Garda should be police
Conor Brady points out that the Commission on the Future of Policing has recommended that the gardai hold on to their “state security” role (“Garda report rings alarm bells on scrutiny”, Comment, last week). Yet this takes valuable resources away from community policing.
As Brady says, it is highly unusual in western countries for police forces to perform these dual functions. Surely other state agencies such as the Defence Forces should be given bigger roles in state security? This would free up garda resources to police our communities.
Matthew Ryan, Wexford
Contingency fees work
In seeking to right a wrong with regard to personal injury claims, Brenda Power risks creating a greater wrong (“Pursuing a personal injury claim should not be a risk-free gamble”, Comment, last week). Those who suffered personal injury in times past had the benefit of legal aid to pursue claims, but no longer. Litigants now face having to pay enormous costs, which the majority simply cannot afford.
The contingency fees system — whereby lawyers are only paid if they win — has an in-built preventative measure, since neither solicitors nor barristers will take on a case if they do not believe it is sound. Lawyers would soon themselves be bankrupted if they repeatedly conducted litigation without being paid.
Stuart Ross, France
Birthdays
Cecelia Ahern is 37 today
BRYAN MEADE
Cecelia Ahern, novelist and screenwriter, 37
Monica Bellucci, actress, 54
Ray Burke, former Fianna Fail TD, 75
Roy Carroll, Northern Ireland footballer, 41
Omid Djalili, actor, 53
Rula Lenska, actress, 71
Johnny Mathis, singer, 83
Charlie McCreevy, former finance minister, 69
T-Pain, rapper and singer, 33
Correction
Our story on the Icelandic volcano Katla (World News, last week) included incorrect quotes from Evgenia Ilyinskaya, of Leeds University. While the study she co-authored found that Katla is producing large volumes of carbon dioxide, it made no claims regarding the current level of magma or the imminence of an eruption; and she did not claim that the volcano was likely to produce a larger ash plume than that of Eyjafjallajokull in 2010. We apologise for the error.
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