A chara, – The notion that the right to privacy is one which is conditional on the attitudes, sensibilities and prejudices of another is both ridiculous and dangerous. The individual who photographed the Tánaiste does not have a right to violate this merely because she believed it was justified and consistent with her own beliefs about what constitutes appropriate behaviour.
I find it particularly telling that she deliberately chose a particularly unedifying picture, with the sole aim of humiliation. If people continue to dress up cyberbullying as some sort of perverse public service, how can we hope to attract young people, women, and minorities into public office?
This episode demonstrates that not only are privacy and dignity not expected, but that people will celebrate their violation. – Is mise,
MATTHEW BARRETT,
Dublin 8.
A chara, – I fail to see the moral crusading Finn McRedmond mentions in her opinion piece ("Criticism over Varadkar's festival-going reflects increasing comfort with constructed outrage", September 9th).
Before attending the Mighty Hoopla festival, Mr Varadkar went on the record in stating his belief that the UK reopening plan was risky and not one to follow.
He then, however, became an active participant in its risky reopening.
It is far from a moral crusade to point out the gap between word and deed in a person in such a prominent public office, particularly as the live events industry in Ireland is still bereft of a plan for fully reopening and when the rest of the country is struggling to find its feet.
To find people reacting to this as some kind of flaw in society, rather than a result of the actual action taken, is misleading. – Is mise,
PAUL McCARRICK,
Athlone,
Co Westmeath.
Sir, – Our criticism of the Tánaiste's attendance at the Mighty Hoopla festival in London is because he deprived us of the only alternative most of us can afford, attending a similar festival in Ireland, such as the Electric Picnic.
If a politician deprives us of something enjoyable, it is reasonable for us to expect the politician to share our suffering.
Finn McRedmond might have displayed a greater appreciation of our criticisms if she wasn’t under the illusion that “anyone in Ireland who wished to attend (the festival in London) could have done so”. – Yours, etc,
JOHN McGRATH,
Ashford,
Co Wicklow.