Sir, – Isn’t it about time we Irish stopped confusing defence spending with loss of neutrality? Some condemn buying the means to protect our seas, skies and citizens from bad actors as “a step towards Nato” or “a threat to our neutrality”.
In fact, the opposite is true. To avoid being drawn in to Nato or European defence structures – if that is what these people want – we need to have an independent means of monitoring our air, water and cyberspace, and a means of taking action if necessary.
Switzerland is neutral; it is not unarmed. It is not defenceless. It has a trained citizenry and a defence plan with active steps to repel invaders. Sweden, neutral until recently, is similarly armed and ready. This is what independent neutrality looks like.
If we continue to equate neutrality with defencelessness, we must continue to go cap in hand to better protected neighbours to act for us.
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As recent events in the Irish Sea show, this continued political failure makes us both a laughing stock and a threat to our neighbours as a weak point of Europe, blind to what goes on in our skies and under our seas. – Yours, etc,
JOHN COLLINS,
Co Kilkenny.
Sir, – The announcement by Minister for Defence Helen McEntee of €1.7 billion capital expenditure spread over five years on the Defence Sectoral National Development Plan 2026-30 is a bad joke.
For all the bluster, this is a clear indication the penny hasn’t dropped yet with this Government on the scale of our capability gap, and the urgency of action in the face of emerging threats.
Time is simply not on our side to take such a long-drawn out approach. The fact that the initial request by the Department of Defence for ¤3.4 billion in the national development plan was halved is inexplicable.
This clearly shows that neither Taoiseach Micheál Martin, nor Tánaiste Simon Harris, are doing anything other than paying lip service to defence. At this rate we will continue to have huge vulnerability well into the next decade by which time it may be far too late to react.
If we’re really serious about defending our sovereignty we need to treble this paltry budget forthwith. Modern defensive equipment such as primary radars, ground-based air defence, armoured vehicles, naval assets and interceptor aircraft are extremely expensive and have very long delivery lead-times.
The lessons of 1940 and 1969 are clear. Don’t wait until the Emergency happens because it’s far too late to do anything about it then. Time to get real. – Yours, etc,
RORY O’MAHONY,
Kilkenny.
Sir, – Stephen Collins asks what would happen if a planeload or two of Russian paratroopers landed at Shannon and took over the airport (Opinion, December 12th).
No problem. Send in peacemaker Donald Trump, give them the Shannon Free Economic Zone. Sign it off in Doonbeg. Deal done in a day.
And then the Taoiseach holding no cards can move on to discuss with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, the West Clare riviera proposal. It will be like nothing the world has ever seen. – Yours, etc,
DENIS HEALY,
Salthill,
Galway.
Sir, – Michael McDowell (“Trump isn’t a peace maker he’s a piece taker,” December 10th) mentions the upcoming US mid-term elections as offering the sole glimmer of hope that an end might be in sight to the amoral madness of the Trump era.
To help us look ahead to the coming year with greater optimism, perhaps the Government would decide not to inflict on the nation the grotesque spectacle of a St Patrick’s Day visit to the White House?
On our national day of all others, we should not dignify a man who treats the EU and its leaders with open contempt, routinely insults and intimidates journalists (especially when they’re women), brazenly preaches about free speech while proposing social media checks as a condition of entry to the US, and urges support for far-right Putin sympathisers.
At some point, surely moral values must “trump” economic interests? – Yours, etc,
PETER O’SULLIVAN,
Auderghem,
Brussels.
Sir, – Before deciding on visiting the US, please allow me to state publicly that no previous president has had the same level of intelligence, compassion or integrity as Donald Trump. American papers (and CIA) please copy. – Yours, etc,
GERRY O’DONNELL,
Dublin 15.
Assaults, teachers and SNAs
Sir, – I am writing in response to recent media reporting on calls to extend the assault leave scheme for teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs). The word “assault” is disappointing. It implies an intention to cause harm or injury
Many young people supported by SNAs and attending special education struggle with language and communication difficulties that impact how they express their needs. Without a reliable voice, children must rely on their behaviour alone to communicate. What may be interpreted as a deliberate act of aggression is, for the child, more often an urgent expression of overwhelming feelings such as fear, distress, tiredness, pain, or even hunger.
Appropriate care and leave for SNAs is necessary, and so too are long-term solutions.
We need a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by this vulnerable group of young people.
Families and educators also require adequate supports to teach appropriate communication, promote mental wellbeing, and provide safe, developmentally sensitive educational settings.
Consideration can begin with the language we use to describe young people, in policy or elsewhere. – Yours, etc,
Dr MARC BENNETT,
Clinical Psychologist and
Assistant research professor,
University of Cambridge.
Sorting out infrastructure
Sir, – After four decades working on the delivery of infrastructure in Ireland I despair at the current inability of our system to build anything meaningful. From the dark period of the 1980s we broke through to a “can-do” couple of decades when we built the Dart, Luas, motorways across the country, tunnels in three cities, numerous major wastewater treatment plants, etc.
Now due to a drought of public investment since the financial crisis, the capacity of the construction sector has withered.
One-third of our big construction contractors have gone bust, and the international firms that partnered with them have packed their bags for better prospects elsewhere.
This Government has no credibility due to the false promises of the last decade and an obsession with one mega underground project that drags on forever. In the meantime, they whine about serial objectors in the planning and judicial system. Yet, when given a clear planning consent for Dart Southwest, which would alleviate the N7 commuter misery, they defer the project construction for years. It beggars belief. – Yours, etc,
SEAMUS Mac GEARAILT,
Chartered engineer,
Monkstown,
Co Dublin.
A red line for the Green Line
Sir, – As a grateful beneficiary of Luas Green Line service for many years, the complete immobilisation of the line for several days due to “a critical low-voltage safety system” issue is a cause of concern.
The Luas network would seem particularly susceptible to “single” point of failure” incidents – where one technical or operational issue brings the entire network down.
The Luas operator’s (Transdev) inability to confirm a timeline to resolution of the issue only aggravated the situation. To restore confidence in service continuity it would be helpful to confirm the service level agreement (SLA) and power back-up requirements placed on Transdev in granting its licence. – Yours, etc,
JOHN NAUGHTON,
Leopardstown,
Dublin 18.
Bus challenges
Sir, – A letter writer in today’s newspaper “Hail to the Luas” (Letters, December 12th) refers to the frustration of watching buses speeding past, coming into or going out of service or already full.
Let me assure her she is not alone. This is happening throughout the city.
A daily bus traveller of mature years, may I add to that frustration. The fear of going through the back window of the bus taking off before reaching a seat in spite of asking politely for a minute to do so, is an almost daily occurrence – an embarrassing experience I struggle to avoid. – Yours, etc,
ALICE LEAHY,
Director of Services,
Alice Leahy Trust,
Dublin.
Electricity prices surge
Sir, – Ireland’s foremost economic think tank (the ESRI) cannot establish the cause of high electricity prices. Perhaps there is a simple behavioural explanation – greed? – Yours, etc,
CORMAC MEEHAN,
Bundoran,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – With some confusion: a headline in today’s Irish Times suggests the ESRI is finding it “difficult to establish” the cause of high electricity prices.
May I humbly suggest to the august body that “over-charging” might, in fact, be the reason. – Yours, etc,
GEOFF SCARGILL,
Co Wicklow.
Pet peeves
Sir, – Following Gerry Hickey’s bemoaning the overuse of “you know, you know” in ordinary discourse, if he lived in the west he’d be hearing “you know, what I mean, like.”
Other linguistic bindweeds, pet peeves: “look-it”to preface an answer, “enjoy” at the cash register, “perfect” from those in hospitality, and the dress/shoes/jewellery that is “to die for”. – Yours, etc,
ANNE MARIE KENNEDY,
Co Galway.
Lost in translation
Sir, – Many years ago, my primary school teacher, a Galwegian, was on a bus and heard the following conversation conducted by two young Dubs. “Schaya hay cuh? Yeah, ee curra crukka.”
He was utterly perplexed at what they were saying, until the second one turned around displaying the effects of a recent visit to the barber that left him with a lopsided crooked fringe. It was then the penny dropped. – Yours, etc,
BOBBY CARTY
Dublin 6W.
Adult talk
Sir, – It’s all very well banning children from using social media. Is there any way we can ban some adults from using it, even for a short time? – Yours, etc,
RICHARD ALLEN,
Cummeen,
Sligo.
Another clause for Santa
Sir, – Valerie Collins suggests “Santa Claus should be prevented from visiting children over the age of seven” (Letters, December 12th).
A better suggestion might have parents advise their children that considering all the children in the world with so many now living in difficult conditions, Santa has decided to be more frugal in future and on Christmas night will now bring just one present. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN McLOUGHLIN,
Co Mayo.
Money tips
Sir, – I was saddened to read that the car clamping company used by Dublin City Council to deter motorists who park illegally made less money last year than the year before (“Profits down at Dublin vehicle clamping company,” December 11th).
May I suggest they move their activities to the southside of Dublin? Given the sheer number of cars illegally parked here – on footpaths, grassy play areas, road intersections and double yellow lines – it will be sure to make a fortune in the future. – Yours, etc.
Dr SHANE O’SULLIVAN,
Dublin 14.
Not impressed by design
Sir, – A couple of weeks ago, when sending Christmas cards to far-away places (Australia and the US), I was very disappointed at the design of An Post’s “Christmas” stamps for worldwide delivery.
Frankly, they looked like something produced by a class of senior infants – gaudy colours, triangles with a star on top which were meant to be Christmas trees and other ones, signifying God knows what.
The stamps for national delivery are no better at being “Christmassy”, apart from a plum pudding one.
My disappointment was magnified when my postman delivered four cards this morning. One from Australia was a portrait of an angel and the Virgin Mary; one from the UK had a representation of the three wise men.
If the UK and Australia could produce Christmas stamps that show the meaning of Christmas, why can’t An Post? – Yours, etc,
TONY KEANE,
Dublin.
Sir, – Susan Fitzgerald and her friends feel the price of a stamp is prohibitive (Letters, December 12th). I don’t think I could disagree more.
It’s €1.65 to post a letter or card. For comparison, that’s a fifth of a glass of wine in my local, less than a bar of chocolate, half the price of a take-away coffee. All fleeting.
But a card addressed by hand and sent with love will be remembered for many weeks, many months. It also helps to keep our local post offices open. – Yours, etc,
DAVID CURRAN,
Knocknacarra,
Galway.
Age-related?
Sir, – Just wondering how many of the civil servants who decided not to purchase the enhanced flu vaccines for the over-65s are over 65 years old? – Yours, etc,
JOSEPH DESMOND,
Cork.
