Letters to the Editor: Importance of hope in prevention of suicide
Cummins Water Quays To Guard Cork To Entering Picture: People Prevent The The Highlighted Larry The Coroner Open Need
In writing about the Cork coroner’s remarks last week on the need to guard open quays in Cork in order to prevent people from entering the water, the writer pointed out that the opportunities for someone determined to take their own life are manifold, and not all can be minimised.
That is true, of course, and there is a need to be pragmatic. But huge strides have been made by the HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention and other mental health agencies, in working to reduce suicide.
We are a national organisation that supports people with lived experience of mental illness and their families, through recovery supports, education, and advocacy. Our organisation manages the national stigma-reduction programme, the Green Ribbon Campaign, which works to address misinformation and wrong perceptions and reduce discrimination and stigma around mental illness.
In our experience, the importance of hope in mental health recovery and suicide prevention measures is paramount. Calling it a mission “doomed to fail” given the fragility of existence, removes any sense of hope or point to improving suicide-prevention measures, or improving people’s prospects in relation to mental health.
The very many people who have survived a suicide attempt and who have recovered from incidents of mental illness are testament to the work being done making a difference. And because each and every life saved is precious, that work must continue.
Regarding the article ‘Policies to ‘incentivise’ working past 65 need to be considered, says Central Bank chief Makhlouf’ online November 25: I totally agree with the Central Bank governor in relation to both allowing and encouraging people to work longer, not alone for economic but also health reasons.
The single most important political initiative in Ireland’s century-long existence was the provision of free education to all, a maverick but inspired move by Donogh O’Malley in the 1960s, which changed the face and course of Ireland’s economy. But alongside the creation of vast social capital, there were huge costs over the last 60 years.
We now need to harvest the benefits by directing the accumulated skills and expertise among the OAP cohort to address many of the social challenges facing the country today. This can be achieved through lifelong learning, where third-level colleges (with a change of mindset) could play a vital role.
Through the 'Advanced Transitions' initiative in 2015, Dublin City University and Bank of Ireland sought to light the way.
Ukraine’s use of US and British missiles into Russia, and the subsequent use by Russia of an intermediate-range missile, raise fears of a major escalation in the war in Ukraine.
The use of these weapons is in direct opposition to public opinion. There has been a downward shift in public support in the UK for military intervention abroad. American citizens have also shown a preference for the peaceful resolution of conflict and Irish opinion polls have consistently shown support for the peaceful resolution of conflict. Last month, reported that approximately 1m Ukrainians and Russians had been killed since the war began. Why is our Government not pursuing our constitutional obligation to resolve international disputes by arbitration?
As the old anti-war song goes: “Where have all the young men gone? When will we ever learn?"
Once again we are left in utter bewilderment at the issue of vetting for Garda recruit intakes in Templemore.
Some of that intake for 2022 and 2023 have not yet been vetted, while there is ongoing training for the 2024 intake, causing angst among those who are nearing the end of the probationary period and about to graduate.
A change in the vetting procedures by Garda HQ has allowed recruits to enter Templemore without being vetted. So while they prioritise the 2024 candidates/recruits some of those in the 2022 and 2023 intake are left high and dry.
Imagine the expectation of Garda trainees or those on probationary periods who have completed their training but are awaiting their vetting to be completed, only to find out that they don’t meet the strict requirements or standards to be a fully-fledged Garda member. How cruel and insensitive.
While we want the right person(s) for the job, the fact that it takes a year to two years for someone to be vetted shows that the system itself is not fit for purpose and needs to be overhauled using a different methodology in order to expedite the process itself.
We need to revert, as we did in days gone by, to local divisional or district vetting and not this centralised body.
Is it not about time that we looked at our electoral system and the electorate? Among our European partners, some have a form of proportional representation that I think we should copy.
It involves firstly holding a national vote for parties and only those getting something like 5% of this poll proceed to a second round when the parties present candidates for an election by single transferable vote.
This would avoid some of the seemingly endless counts. It would also reduce the number of ‘one-trick ponies’ wasting Dáil time on their hobby horse (that is what local councils are for).
The article — ‘Revealed: billionaires are ‘ultimate beneficiaries’ linked to €3bn of EU farming subsidies’ online November 3 — underscores systemic flaws in the Common Agricultural Policy (Cap).
This policy prioritises land ownership over genuine need, exacerbating inequality and environmental degradation. This highlights capitalism’s failure to equitably distribute resources, enriching the wealthy at the expense of small farmers and sustainable practices.
Reforming Cap to support plant-based agriculture and small-scale farmers is crucial for ecological sustainability and social justice.
Louisa Moss, Dublin 7
We have recently witnessed the profligate State spending on the infamous bike shed at Leinster House and the security hut at Government Buildings, and so on.
A large number of voters have expressed their annoyance about this unnecessary waste of money.
However, one would have thought that the really clever populist position for a political party to take would be to say that we now need our own department of government efficiency in Ireland.
We need some kind of mechanism in place, in order to cut the crazy amounts of taxpayers’ money that’s being wasted.
I believe that such an avant-garde approach would go down very well with the electorate.
Cop29 is another failure in how the global community is dealing with global warming.
I am dismayed by its failure to deal with the massive military industrial complex and its contribution to global warming.
The paltry contribution to rectify the issues caused by the West is utterly disappointing and clearly shows that something better than Cop is required.
I was delighted to read Robert Hume’s fine article — ‘Cork professor hailed as the father of computing and artificial intelligence’ November 26 — nominating Cork’s own George Boole as the father of artificial intelligence.
His great-great-grandson, Nobel prize-winner in physics, Professor Geoffrey Hinton, has been called the godfather of AI.
Your readers may like to know that a new biography of Boole, , by Desmond MacHale and Yvonne Cohen, has been published by Mercier Press and will be launched at the Western Gateway Building, University College Cork (UCC), on Friday, December 6, at 5pm. All Boolean enthusiasts and fans are cordially invited to attend this event.