Sir, – The recently brokered ceasefire in Gaza offers a fragile hope for peace and the long-awaited exchange of prisoners and hostages.
The world rightly welcomes these reunions. Yet, as global attention focuses on Gaza, hundreds of Palestinian children in the West Bank remain imprisoned under Israel’s military justice system, forgotten and voiceless.
These minors, primarily from the occupied West Bank, were not bargaining chips in the Gaza-focused negotiations, leaving them to endure indefinite detention and hardship.
Human rights groups report that 378 Palestinian minors are currently held in Israeli custody, 112 of them in administrative detention – a practice allowing indefinite imprisonment without charge or trial.
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Many are detained in military facilities such as Ofer and Megiddo, often alongside adults, subjected to 23-hour lockdowns, and interrogated without parents or legal counsel present. These protections are guaranteed to Israeli children under civilian law but denied to Palestinians under military rule. Military courts operate behind closed doors, evading oversight and eroding accountability.
No invocation of international law is needed to see the moral repugnance of this situation. When cruelty becomes policy, it corrodes the moral fabric of the society that enacts it.
If this ceasefire is to have meaning, compassion must extend to all children – Israeli and Palestinian alike. – Yours, etc,
EILEEN SEERY,
Gorey,
Co Wexford.
Sir, – Keith Duggan assigns US president Donald Trump too much credit for the ceasefire in Gaza (“You go to bed dreaming of a Nobel Peace prize and wake up to find a guy with latex gloves,” October 11th).
The main reason for the ceasefire is that the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, calculates that he has achieved the maximal success possible at the current iteration of his strategy.
Israel is militarily dominant in the Middle East, and Netanyahu is politically dominant in the Knesset.
The US has continued to supply arms, and countries that once menaced Israel (Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran) have been neutralised, or rendered impotent, with the assistance of the US. Conditions for a ceasefire have been in place for months.
It is only now that Israel finds them suitable for a pause, hopefully an extendable pause.
How long a pause can only be determined by strong moral and political leadership to limit Israeli ambition; leadership that we know president Trump is incapable of providing. – Yours, etc,
TOBY JOYCE,
Navan,
Co Meath.
Sir, – It is very uplifting to see the release of the hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and to read Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s statement.
But it is also concerning to read that internal score settling by Hamas and others is now taking place.
I fear that, like our own history, when freedom comes, an internal civil war may result.
We need, having faced this in the birth of our nation, to be a loud voice to ensure that the settling of old scores does not lead down that path.
The same occurred with the birth of India and Pakistan when the ruling power ceded control; we must not let that happen in Palestine.
A concerted effort must be made by the UN and international bodies to ensure a smooth transition to nationhood is not damaged by internal strife. We must make sure that whatever happens the atrocities we have seen are not repeated. – Yours, etc,
JOHN BERGIN,
Oxton Wirral,
England.
Presidential elections
Sir, – Heather Humphreys accuses Catherine Connolly of insulting “our allies” – the British, the Germans, the Americans, etc – and thus being unfit for Áras an Uachtaráin.
She has insulted nobody, but simply applied a critical and humanitarian mind to certain behaviours displayed by them.
One thinks of their actions and inactions concerning Gaza in particular.
Moreover, while every nation has the right to provide for its defence, she points out that the build-up of a military industrial complex to solve domestic economic problems and enhance one’s status in Europe or the world does not serve the genuine interests of humanity.
The last thing we want is a president who obsequiously follows the line of the big powers and parrots their propaganda. – Yours, etc,
DALTÚN Ó CEALLAIGH,
Rathmines,
Dublin.
Sir, – Where have Catherine Connolly’s friends Mick Wallace and Clare Daly gone ? – Yours, etc,
MATT MERRICK,
Edenderry,
Co Offaly.
Sir, – One our most effective Irish presidents, Mary McAleese, is on record as saying that Ireland’s membership of the European Union is the most important thing that has happened to Ireland in her lifetime.
I agreed with that sentiment at the time she made it, and I agree with it now. After reading Pat Leahy’s report on Sunday’s presidential debate on RTÉ Radio’s This Week (“Candidates clash over the EU, triple lock and election campaign ‘smears’,” October, 13th), I now know that I can have no expectation whatever that any similar remarks will ever be made by Catherine Connolly.
I will, therefore, be voting for Heather Humphreys in the presidential election. – Yours, etc,
SEAMUS McKENNA,
Maynooth,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – Thanks to Ivan Yates (who advised Fine Gael to “smear” Catherine Connolly), my voting indecision has been resolved. I’m sure I am not alone. – Yours, etc,
MARGARET FEELEY,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin
.Sir, – Instead of dodging questions or even bullets in live debates, could we watch our two candidates share a State banquet while carrying out diplomatic, constitutionally constrained chit chat? – Yours, etc.
PATRICIA MURRAY,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Justine McCarthy (Opinion, October 10th), referring to article 12.3.3 of the Constitution, raises an interesting option for voters not particularly enthusiastic about the remaining candidates: Vote Jim Gavin for a replay. – Yours, etc,
LIAM MULLIGAN,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – Calls to postpone the upcoming presidential election have not considered the wrath of President Michael D Higgins if he is asked to unpack. – Yours, etc,
LOMAN Ó LOINGSIGH,
Kiltipper Road,
Dublin 24.
Credit where credit is due
Sir, – In developing his argument that “GAA exceptionalism” in Irish life was punctured by the demise of Jim Gavin’s campaign last weekend, Malachy Clerkin’s criticisms of Mr Gavin’s sporting achievements were excessive (“Jim Gavin and the well-overdue puncturing of GAA exceptionalism”, Sports Weekend, October 11th).
Mr Clerkin sought to undermine Jim Gavin’s Dublin team’s unprecedented six-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles with a commentary that “...Dublin won three of their six All-Irelands by a point and two of them after a replay...”
So what? The bottom line is that Mr Gavin’s teams won – time and again. Impressively, he and his team maintained their calmness, coolness and composure under pressure to succeed each time.
Mr Clerkin’s wider point in relation to Jim Gavin’s specific suitability for the presidential role may have some merit, but please do not denigrate his exceptional achievements, and give credit where it is due. – Yours, etc,
JOHN NAUGHTON,
Leopardstown,
Dublin 18.
A country not in a terrible State
Sir, – I read, with a proud smile, the letters of Gary Doyle and Tom Gelletlie under the heading “Ireland not in a terrible state”.
And how right they are.
Although we must not lose sight of the fact that there are many, many things that we could be doing better in this country, we should also be happy and proud to reflect on the achievements of our people.
With a population of 5.3 million in the Republic and about 6.8 million on the whole island, the lot of us would fit into a couple of suburbs of Tokyo, Cairo, New York and many other cities.
And yet we punch well above our weight on the international stage.
We were among the first to explore the Antarctic. We designed the White House and some of our descendants sat in the Oval Office.
We’ve sent champion racehorses all over the globe and we’ve taken on, and beaten, the best rugby nations in the world. Our top golfers are household names in the golfing world.
We gave the world the Beaufort Scale and the submarine and Guinness, and we invented the art of boycotting and guerrilla warfare.
Probably our best contribution to the world is in the art of literature, film and music. In the past 100 years we’ve won four Nobel Prizes in literature – Yeats, Shaw, Beckett and Seamus Heaney.
We gave the world James Joyce, Gulliver, Dracula, Dorian Grey and Angela’s Ashes.
But it’s in music that we’ve really made our mark with U2, The Dubliners, Boyzone, The Clancy Brothers, etc; we gave the world Riverdance, Sinéad O’Connor, Van Morrison, Count John McCormack, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cillian Murphy, Barry Fitzgerald, Brenda Fricker, Richard Harris, the list goes on. And on.
So, to cut a long story short, I am proud to be Irish. – Yours, etc,
ROBERT P GOGAN,
Kilbeggan,
Co Westmeath.
Sir, – I refer to Gary Doyle’s letter of October 13th. We are indeed a people who should be grateful for all our country has to offer – peace, welfare and disability benefits, health service, many charities, education, lovely seasons, great coastline, wildlife.
Of course, not everything is perfect but in the global picture we are near the top. – Yours, etc,
JILL FENNELL,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Backsliding and the latte levy
Sir, – The disposable plastic bag levy at the point of sale was introduced in 2002 to reduce plastic bag use and littering.
Per capita usage reduced by over 95 per cent. About 200 million disposable cups are used annually in Ireland. Recognising the success of the disposable plastic bag levy, the previous government had proposed a “latte levy” of 20 cents on each disposable cup at the point of sale to reduce disposable cups consumption.
However, as reported in The Irish Times by Caroline O’Doherty (October 8th), there has been a back slide by the Department of Climate, Environment and Energy on the introduction of a point of sale “latte levy”.
It is puzzling given that the plastic bag levy has worked so effectively. The department has changed tack and is considering imposing the levy on cup producers or importers.
Caroline O’Doherty reports this “would leave it up to producers and importers to pass the cost on to retailers, who would have to choose whether and how to pass it on to customers”. This muddies the waters.
It introduces a risk that some coffee shops will apply a single price for a cup of coffee regardless of whether a reusable or disposable cup is used.
In this scenario, reusable cup customers will effectively subsidise the price paid by disposable cup customers.
Without a guaranteed reduction of 20 cents for reusable cup customers, it will reduce the incentive for people to migrate from single use cups to reusable cups.
It means a levy imposed on cup producers is unlikely to deliver anywhere near the range of a 95 per cent per capita reduction in usage of disposable cups as was achieved with disposable plastic bags following the introduction of the plastic bag levy in 2002.
That seems like an opportunity lost to reduce the ongoing environmental damage caused by the use of millions of disposable cups. – Yours, etc,
MARK FOX,
Shankill,
Dublin 18
In praise of Ray D’Arcy
Sir, – I am writing to pay tribute and to say thank you to my favourite RTÉ Radio One presenter Ray D’Arcy.
I have been a big fan of Ray D’Arcy on television and radio ever since my eldest son, Steven, a reluctant school goer over 35 years ago, would come in from school, drop his school bag, say nothing and simply unwind watching Ray D’Arcy on the Den.
I am hoping now that after a well-earned break, Ray will return to radio just like presidential candidate Heather Humphreys returned to public life after taking a break. – Yours, etc,
SHEILA PECK,
Dromiskin,
Co Louth.
Kingspan spinout
Sir, – With regard to John McManus’s recent opinion column “Kingspan spinout a big bet on the biggest bet in the history of bets,” October 8th, we would like to clarify that former chairman Gene Murtagh did not say the rationale for the demerger (to form Advnsys). . . “is the valuation put by the market on engineering and construction firms that focus on data centres”.
Advnsys is a substantial business, with over €1.5 billion of sales, it’s a rapidly growing and increasingly sophisticated business, whose earnings are expected to drive through €300 million next year. That would make it larger than many of Ireland’s most celebrated public companies.
The true rationale for exploring an IPO is to bring together and scale our expertise in this highly specialised and expanding market.
Any valuation effect is a byproduct. We are investing in real plants and real people – in Virginia and Kentucky among many others – to meet rising global demand for energy-efficient solutions for the future. – Yours, etc,
ANTHONY DOHERTY,
Head of Corporate Affairs,
Kingspan Group plc,
Dublin.
Take a letter
Sir, – Brian Cullen’s impressive milestone of 1,000 letters (Letters, October 13th) might now enable him to identify as hypergraphic.
As for how this categorisation will affect his marriage, perhaps that is a reason for him to write a letter to the relationship advice section of The Irish Times. – Yours , etc,
BEN McCABE,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Brian Cullen is a man after my own heart. I could not have put it any better. The joy and sense of achievement I get whenever I see my letter printed is wonderful.
Rejection – the complete opposite. I too constantly have the urge to write. Maybe we could go to therapy together. – Yours, etc,
LAURA O’MARA,
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.
