Madam, - I heard with disappointment the Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform refer to parents with drug addiction problems as "junkies". His comments were made while being interviewed by Matt Cooper on Today FM's Last Word. He refused to retract, saying he would not play at being politically correct. It is a very sad situation where our Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform does not know the difference between being disrespectful and being politically correct.
I come into daily contact with parents who have drug addiction problems and watch them struggle with their troubles. I can say without fear of contradiction, they love, and they care, for their offspring as much as any parent. But their life path to date bears absolutely no resemblance to that of their comfortable middle class peers. Their CV does not show Gonzaga, UCD, the Four Courts, and Dáil Éireann. More likely you see broken homes, alcohol and drug addiction and poor education as their nurturing agents. None would be able to boast of a lineage almost regal, as outlined by Mr McDowell in his article on the L&H in your newspaper.
The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform should be ashamed of himself and be decent enough to apologise for his comment. - Yours, etc.,
RICHARD COLLIS,
Phibsboro,
Dublin 7