Letters to the Editor: References for convicted rapists are outdated

We must ask, though, what damage has been done to such survivors by the people who gave testimonials and character references for Shane Noonan?

In telling the courts that they believe a convicted rapist is a good citizen, they send out a message that sexual violence is not taken seriously in our society.

It is time to put an end to this outdated practice and make it clear, once and for all, that there is zero tolerance for sexual, or other, violence against women.

Bernie Linnane

Dromahair, Co Leitrim

We need action on emissions and we need it now

The heatwaves ravaging the northern hemisphere with record high temperatures in Europe clearly illustrate the dangers of the climate crisis that countries in the Global South have been suffering with for years.

Extreme temperatures, droughts, cyclones and devastating floods are causing the loss of lives and livelihoods in the Global South. In addition it is driving the migration of millions of people — and increasing the risk of violence against women and girls.

The reality is that vulnerable countries struggling with heatwaves don´t have the resources available to rich economies to cope with rising temperatures. The consequences are terrible: more than 36m people across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia are facing severe hunger every day.

Real action to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions and phase out fossil fuels is crucial if we’re to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5C and avert catastrophic climate change everywhere. This means polluting economies like ours must undergo a total transformation within the next 10 years.

We need action. And we need it now.

Karol Balfe

ActionAid Ireland

Parnell Square, Dublin 1

Burning books

I refer to Fergus Finlay’s recent article (‘ We need to recognise the recent acts of hate for what they truly are’). 

Destroying books and manuscripts is nothing new. As the Tánaiste said last week, targeting books and their authors goes back a long time, even in this country. And with what is happening in parts of America should we really be too surprised that libraries are now a target here too?

Those that remember the 1984 film Footloose, which launched the career of Kevin Bacon, may recall the scene where the High School coach Roger Dunbar and his wife Eleanor engage in a public display of burning library books from their small town high school over what they argued was the corrupting influence these (hardcover) books were having on their teenagers.

The local Rev Shaw Moore, played by John Lithgow, won’t even allow a school dance to take place in rural Bomont. Yet he rushes over when he hears of a baying mob of adults around a fire saying: “When did you all decide to sit in judgement? When you burn all of these what are you going to do then? Satan is not in these books, he’s in here”, he says, pointing to his heart.

Pride marches began as a political protest movement in the US in 1970. Nowadays they are evolving into a longer celebration every year attracting commercial and community sponsors with varying degrees of success and controversy.

The point is when you publicise certain community events in local and national press it is almost inevitable that some type of counter-protest will take place somewhere, particularly when it involves schools and the teaching of young people.

Libraries are safe and quiet spaces for the young to those in advancing years. We should be mindful of how we use these fabulous free facilities and not engage the bigots and their small band of supporters for political point-scoring.

Tom McElligott

Listowel, Co Kerry

Cataloguing error

Fergus Finlay is at it again with his myopic view of Ireland’s past and the role of the Catholic Church. He consistently ignores the historic parallel with the London East End circumstances by which and in which his former employer Barnardos operated.

Dubliner John Barnardo and the organisation founded in his name worked among the urban East London and rural Essex poor in much the same way as Irish Catholic Church charitable organisations of the time. 

Judged by today’s enlightened social attitudes one was as good or as bad as the other and this is why UK PM Gordon Brown apologised in the British parliament in much the same way as our own Enda Kenny.

Of course, all right-thinking people deplore what has happened recently in some Irish libraries. Ignoring the stated cause of the library protests is unhelpful. As I understand it Mr Finlay is once again way off the mark in writing about burning books.

The protesters say that they do not want adult-themed books made available in children’s sections of public libraries but placed instead and made available to adults in the adult section. Surely to misrepresent this issue is itself to stir up hatred at a time when a sensible solution should surely be found.

Alan Whelan

Killarney, Co Kerry

Forelegs good

I read with great interest the wonderful article about the Donkey Sanctuary, by Alison O’Reilly on July 17.

I have had the pleasure of visiting the sanctuary in Liscarroll, Co Cork, and was amazed at the care and attention the donkeys receive from all who work there. They receive no financial aid from our Government and rely on donations. 

Afterwards, I noticed an article above this one (same page) about greyhound racing. The Youghal Greyhound Track received €763,000.00 in Government funding since 2020. They had an average of three members of the public attend twice weekly meets. They were facing closure in April but received a last-minute reprieve! From whom? For me this sums up what I have known for a long time, the Government supports functions that are held by communities who vote for their local candidates at election.

Patricia Hennessy

Cork

Is Earth doomed?

As Europe suffocates under a burning hot sun and humidity, I am so thankful for our own Atlantic air mass that keeps us nice and cool.

Global warming has become a dangerous situation as Mother Earth becomes a victim of man’s greed for riches, taking for granted how much you can steal from Earth’s natural resources before she begins to close down.

Are our days numbered, and have we left it too late to retrieve the situation?

Will the polar caps melt completely, and destroy us with a great flood? The rich elite plunder our future by putting us in dire peril of being wiped out! Mother Earth is badly wounded crying out for help to stop this mad genocide. We wait with bated breath for the outcome.

Anthony Woods

Ennis, Co Clare

Polling numbers

In Monday’s paper, there was an article that gave some statistics on the RTÉ debacle. It showed that when people were asked: Should Ryan Tubridy be allowed back on his radio show? it said that 47% said yes, 37% said no, and 16% didn’t know. 

However, only 1,000 people were asked the question. To my mind that makes the results misinformative and unrepresentative. In any survey carried out in this country, we need a law that forces the polling companies to show the number of people surveyed before the actual results of the survey are shown in the newspapers.

It is time we had a bit of honesty in the media. As for the man himself, Tubridy, this whole debacle has nothing to do with him. He is contracted to work for RTÉ and if his contract is dubious that is the fault of the incompetents in RTÉ.

John Fair

Castlebar, Co Mayo

Dog days over?

As a League of Ireland supporter of long-standing, I can only marvel at the greyhound industry’s ability to prise large sums of government funding for a sport in decline. In a year that has seen record crowds turning out thoughout the country for league games I’d love to know the greyhound industry’s secret. Surely government money can be better spent?

Shea Carroll

Kilmainham, Dublin