Madam, - John Leinster (September 16th) takes issue with "Love" (Let Our Voices Emerge) in describing the children raised in "care" (a misnomer if ever there was one) as "inmates", as opposed to his preferred "residents".
Let me put him right. I have it in black and white, via the Freedom of Information Act, that I was brought before Dublin Children's Court at the age of three and (a) charged with being destitute (b) found guilty and (c) sentenced to be detained in industrial schools until my 16th birthday.
In the process of corresponding with the FOI Office I learnt that I was "released" from Artane, "on licence", six weeks prior to my 16th birthday. When I queried why "on licence", I was told that, had I transgressed the law in any way during those six weeks I would have been returned to Artane.
Inmates or residents? I think the records speak for themselves. - Yours, etc,
PETER PALLAS, Sion Hill Court, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.