Letters to the Editor: Class distinction is outdated
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Categorising people as working, middle, or upper class was an unpalatable feature of the general election. It’s a throwback to British occupation and has no place in modern Ireland. Rather than measure people by what they have, I rate them by their values such as character, personal ambition, and work ethic.
I grew up in what I’d call a working home rather than a working class home, where family values, mutual respect, and hard work were prioritised.
There was great emphasis on education and, from teenage years, we children worked weekends and holiday periods to help fund our second and third level education.
A particular highlight was our exposure to games and social activities, all provided free of charge by altruistic volunteers. We had an enriching upbringing where we learned to keep our feet on the ground and hold our heads high.
Consequently, I don’t regard any person as inferior or superior to me. Rather, I treat people with equality, respect, and courtesy, irrespective of race, ethnicity, colour, religion, sexual orientation, or material worth.
I admire people who make the most of life, who work hard for the money to meet their family’s needs, who contribute to activities in their local community, and who give a leg up to the needy.
I think well of those who pay the State its dues, so that sufficient funds are available to help the disadvantaged. I have no time for snobbery or “beautiful people” syndrome.
Most of all, I regard class distinction as an outdated and irrelevant concept of a bygone era.
Billy Ryle
Spa, Tralee, Co Kerry
Domestic abuse
I want to applaud Niamh Griffin’s article in Thursday’s Irish Examiner in highlighting the very emotive common issue of domestic abuse during pregnancy.
This article reports from Cork University Hospital, where staff have found that domestic violence during pregnancy is common. They have said that a woman is as likely to experience violence during pregnancy as she to get gestational diabetes.
As a seasoned clinician, this is nothing new and it’s important that such an issue is highlighted. According to a study, domestic violence by a partner or ex-partner during pregnancy doubled the risk of pre-term birth or low birth weight.
We now know that domestic violence, which includes physical, sexual, financial, psychological, or emotional abuse, increases the risk of the baby’s health being impacted greatly. Healthcare professionals have an important role to play in tackling this problem as these are the first and only point of contact that the isolated and vulnerable victim reaches out to.
All of us working in healthcare need to be trained to recognise the signs of domestic violence and abuse and how to act and who to refer to in order to ensure the woman’s safety. I believe that it’s important for a midwife to be able to spend time with victims of domestic abuse and violence, to gain their trust as well as providing them with information and support groups who will assist them in reporting the abuse or violence.
It’s my contention that this is one of the reasons that continuity of care and carer is so important in maternity care.
John O’Brien
Clinical psychotherapist,
Clonmel, Co Tipperary
Government talks
I have just read Fergus Finlay’s piece of December 10 regarding the general election in which he states: “If you showed the results of the election to a bunch of professors of politics just landed from Mars, and asked them to tell you, on the basis of the figures, who has a mandate to govern, there’s only one possible answer. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil no; Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, and Labour yes.”
Now one would have to be from Mars, or some such, together with not being very good at maths, to reach such a conclusion.
It may have escaped Fergus’ notice that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael received 42.7% of the vote and 86 seats, while his “winners” received 28.5 % of the vote and 61 seats.
He says that “our imperfect democracy seems to be the best we can do”, but I would suggest that it is a hell of a lot better than Mr Finlay’s version.
Stephen O’Callaghan
Ballygarvan, Co Cork
Putting country first
It is hard to know whether to laugh or cry reading headlines such as ‘ Independent TDs seeking three junior ministerial roles and super junior appointment’ ( Irish Examiner, December 13).
The result of the election was a hung parliament with every manifesto presented to the people resoundingly rejected. The idea that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can claim otherwise is dangerously anti-democratic.
They must acknowledge publicly that they too failed to get the support of the country to govern. For them to now cobble together a programme for Government based on their particular ideologies is to ignore the will of the people.
There is a case to be made for a stable Government in these difficult times but surly any such Government must reflect the wishes of the people. In that regard, democracy, and the country, would be better served if Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael sought a confidence-and-supply agreement with Sinn Féin, Labour, and the Social Democrats.
A fixed four-year programme could be agreed that reflects the broadest views. There should be no rewards in return for the agreement to support such a Government, although many would like to see a left-of-centre minister for housing (it could be rotated between the supporting parties of the left). This scourge is causing great misery and indications are that, if current policy continues, it will get even worse.
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael pretending that they have a mandate to govern by way of handing out goodies to politicians most of the country never even heard of is a recipe for unease. It is time that our politicians for once ignored the “what’s in it for me” thinking and focused on serving the country.
Jim O’Sullivan
Rathedmond, Sligo
Teletext treasure
The RTÉ Teletext service, now defunct, was a treasure of information that could be accessed without any of the usual distractions one experiences on mobile phones or similar devices; as Joni Mitchell’s classic pop song goes, “you don’t know what you have ’til it’s gone”.
Pat Manton
Bishopstown, Cork
Education system
Eight years ago, the Government pledged to make Ireland’s education system the best in Europe. Fine Gael’s Richard Bruton called it vital to our nation’s ambitions. The action plan for education, drafted in 2016, mirrored the successful strategy used to tackle the jobs crisis post-austerity, setting hundreds of targets to address educational disadvantage and boost skills, with the goal of strengthening our schools by 2026.
Like the jobs action plan before it, the education strategy promised assigned responsibilities, annual revisions, and quarterly progress updates.
Since then, the INTO has pushed hard for greater investment in primary and special education, achieving some wins. But the next Government must deliver much more: We are short 3,000 primary teachers, over 100,000 children are on waiting lists, and 250,000 primary pupils are crammed into overcrowded classes.
Last summer, it became clear we wouldn’t reach the ‘best in Europe’ goal by 2026. So, we reset our sights and charted a new course to establish the world’s best primary and special education system by 2030. With 30 key co-ordinates, the INTO’s 2030 Vision: Essential Investments for Advancing Primary and Special Education outlines the actions needed to truly meet the needs of all children and teachers.
For the parties now engaged in negotiating a programme for Government, the commitments made during the election campaign must not fall by the wayside. The coming weeks of government formation present an critical opportunity to address long-standing shortfalls in our education system, ensuring it is fit for purpose in a modern, inclusive Ireland.
To do so, the next Government must act decisively to reduce class sizes, rectify teacher recruitment and retention, strengthen school leadership, bolster special education, and provide sustainable funding to schools.
The INTO’s blueprint champions primary education as the cornerstone of a thriving society, calling for a bold strategy to tackle today’s challenges. It demands investment in infrastructure, enhanced resources for special education, and improved conditions for teachers.
Education is not an expense but an investment in our collective future. If we are serious about creating a prosperous, equitable society, then delivering for primary and special education must be at the top of the new government’s agenda. The education of the next generation should be every politician’s top priority. The stakes could not be higher, so our ambition to soar must be matched with government action.
John Boyle,
INTO general secretary