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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Letters to the Editor: Ireland does not need a president
As the country faces another costly presidential election, one wonders if we need a president and can we afford to sustain what is largely a ceremonial office. For me, the answer is an emphatic no. The Constitution expressly vests executive authority in the democratically-elected government. The non-executive presidency is weighed down by protocols and formalities which are irrelevant in a modern republic grappling with very serious housing, health, criminal, and international issues. The president holds office for an inordinately long seven years, and can be elected for a second term. Unlike a general or local election, it's almost impossible for an ordinary Irish citizen to contest this election, as a nomination requires the support of at least 20 members of the Oireachtas or at least four local authorities. In addition to expense-free living in the opulent, 92-room Áras an Uachtaráin, the president is entitled to an annual salary of €332,070, nearly seven times the average working salary of €47,967. Presidential staff and ceremonial functions, at home and abroad, cost the taxpayer at least €5m per annum. Some very fine people, including the present incumbent, have held the office but, in my opinion, the position is now unsustainable and the money spent in electing and maintaining a president of Ireland, a nominal and virtually powerless figurehead, is urgently needed elsewhere. Billy Ryle, Tralee, Co Kerry Ban will just move smoking problem elsewhere It was with surprise that l learned of the suggestion by Cork county councillors to prohibit smoking and vaping in local authority amenity areas. 'The response of the local authority has been to ignore the enforcement of its own litter bylaws or general waste-management legislation.' Stock picture: Nicholas T Ansell/PA The proposed rule will at best simply move the problem elsewhere or, as I believe to be the case from experience, lead to another bylaw going on the statute book of the local authority that will not be enforced. As one who for many years has regularly gone on litter patrol, I can confirm that over 60% of all items dropped on our streets are cigarette or vaping related, yet the response of the local authority has been to ignore the enforcement of its own litter bylaws or general waste-management legislation. My appeals over the years for the provision of cigarette receptacles outside all local authority and State agency buildings falling on deaf ears, this is apart from my advocacy of local authorities rolling out a pilot scheme where, on request, cigarette receptacles would be provided to ratepayers. Until the mindset of the local authority changes in relation to litter and waste management enforcement, no amount of new legislation will have the desired effect Tadhg O'Donovan, Fermoy, Cork What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here Mayo County GAA Board should apologise The choice of language used by the Mayo County GAA Board in sacking its management team was disgusting. Exactly what might be expected of the owners of a an English Premier League club when sacking a manager; and indeed, even then not always so. Gaelic Football is an amateur sport. An amateur sport that is now garnished with the worst aspects of corporate professionalism and elitism. Major fixtures behind pay walls. Highly paid officials. Corporate boxes. Exorbitant ticket prices. All totally based on the efforts of unpaid amateur players. Jarlath Burns needs to have a chat with his full-time permanent officials. Pundits speak of managers losing the dressing room. If GAA HQ is not careful, it may well lose a lot more than that. Mayo is a proud GAA county. An apology should come from HQ. And an assurance that county management teams will be treated with respect in future. After an opening phrase that a manager 'has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect' undermines whatever weasel words may follow. Larry Dunne, Rosslare Harbour, Co Wexford Profit of doom I notice that crude oil prices fell 7% on the open market, as reported recently in the Irish Examiner, in the wake of war breaking out between Israel and Iran. I also noticed that petrol and diesel prices went up at the forecourt pumps by almost the same amount at the same time. Let it not be said there's no opportunistic money to be made during a war. Nick Folley, Carrigaline, Cork What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here Progress on speech and language therapy After reading the article 'Speech and language, occupational therapies to start in 45 special schools in September' (Irish Examiner, June 19), I screamed out loud, 'Hallelujah!'. It is about time! For the last several years I have been reading disturbing articles on the websites of various Irish newspapers telling of the long waiting lists for children to receive speech and language therapy. I applaud the Department of Education for finally addressing the issue and moving in the right direction. Stammering is one of the primary speech issues that affects children. Parents should know that there are great resources available on the websites of the Irish Stammering Association and Stamma (formerly the British Stammering Association). Also, the website of the Stuttering Foundation provides many free resources, such as e-books and streaming videos. Colm Ruane, Bronx, New York Putting words on the plight of Palestinians A lot of investment and effort is put into the production of TV shows and pop videos but I believe very little talent and imagination is being put into conveying the present extremely serious plight of the people of Gaza. A video should be produced which plays the voices of actors speaking repeatedly and with feeling some of the moving lines from Shakespeare to the background of the horrific scenes of destruction and death which are being broadcast daily from Gaza. Along with episodes of silence, the already recorded heartbreaking words and cries of the Gazan people themselves should also be included in this new video in an attempt to convey just a fraction of the pain and sorrow of their tragic situation. Some such appropriate lines from Shakespeare which could be included in this video might be 'drown the stage with tears' and 'there's matter in these sighs, in these profound heaves'. Also 'they are cruel tears' along with 'if you prick us, do we not bleed?' and on and on. Perhaps a few newly-written and appropriately matching lines could also be spoken to describe the plight of the people in Gaza. Sean O'Brien, Kilrush, Co Clare What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here Affordable homes are key to preventing crime I commend the Irish Examiner in doing a three-day series on crime in Cork. This investigation found that almost a quarter of the jail sentences handed down in Cork over the past five years were to homeless people. Theft, assault, public order, or drug offences were the most mentioned, with men accounting for 87% of all the jail terms. As a Cork man, it breaks my heart to learn of these statistics. As a clinician, I have found that people who live on the streets often face a cruel choice — living rough in the cold or spending time behind bars. Sadly, we see that the numbers trapped in sleeping rough have again risen. This is why more social homes are desperately needed. It's hard to quantify the extent to which homelessness has contributed to chronic and mental poor health. There is no question in my mind that homelessness and poor mental health are inextricably linked. Homelessness is harmful, as pretty much everyone instinctively knows. It's my contention that charities on their own cannot solve this imbroglio. This is why it's incumbent on the Government to put pressure on developers and landlords. Homeless people sometimes have other problems too, but what the vast preponderance of these poor souls need more than anything else is an affordable house to live in. I find the following words which were once uttered by the late Mother Teresa to be apposite to the above: 'We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our homes to remedy this poverty.' John O'Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary Read More Irish Examiner view: Ireland needs immigrants to help address our labour shortage
Irish Times
2 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
‘A woman of conviction and compassion': Tributes paid to disability activist Jacqui Browne at funeral Mass
Disability activist and thalidomide survivor Jacqui Browne was 'a woman of conviction and compassion', mourners were told at her funeral Mass on Friday. Ms Browne, who was from Co Kerry, died peacefully at her home on Monday aged 63 . The funeral Mass took place at St John's Church, Tralee, with chief celebrant Fr Tadhg Fitzgerald remembering Ms Browne as 'an incredible campaigner', 'a woman of conviction and compassion' and a 'tireless worker for change'. Fr Fitzgerald told mourners that Ms Browne, whom he first met more than 25 years ago, was 'someone who stood up when it would have been easier to sit down, someone who spoke out when silence would have been more comfortable'. READ MORE Symbols of Ms Browne's life brought to the altar by members of her family included a sailing jacket, representing her love of the sea, nature and outdoors; a publication on the role of the Disabled Persons Organisations' Network in Ireland; and photographs of her 'beloved dog' Sandy and 'feline friend' Lorenzo. A guard of honour was formed by Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind and an Irish Sign Language interpreter was present for the Mass. Ms Browne is survived by her siblings Michélè (Clement), Donal J, Kevin and Sharon, nieces and nephew Gabrielle, Ciara, Sophie and Daniel, sister-in-law Lorna and brother-in-law Peter. Speaking to the congregation, Donal J Browne said learning the extent of his sister's legacy in the days since her death had 'really stunned' him and the rest of the family. Recalling his earliest memory of Jacqui, on the day she was born, Mr Browne said: 'I remember my late father's battered second-hand petrol green coloured Skoda pulled into the kerbside outside 10 Basin View, Tralee with a small Moses basket and little did we know what a storm was about to fall on us.' He added: 'At 4½ years of age I could feel the palpable excitement and joy at this little bundle coming into our lives. She certainly raised the bar for us every day of our lives.' Thalidomide was a medication introduced in the mid-1950s to counter morning sickness, but was withdrawn from most markets in 1961 after widespread evidence of it leading to birth defects. However, it remained on Irish shelves until 1964. The medication led to deformities and the deaths of thousands of babies across the world. Many children of women who took the drug in pregnancy were born without or with shortened limbs, with hearing and vision impairments and injuries to internal organs. Mourners heard how Ms Browne underwent several operations throughout her life due to the condition and became 'isolated' from her family at just five-year-old as a boarder at the Cabra School for the Deaf in Dublin. Despite her disability, the Mass heard, she 'engaged in every sport she could manage in school'. In later life, Ms Browne remained an active sailor, competing in the Clipper Round The World Race in 2010. 'Today is not a day to criticise the Government for its failures to the thalidomide community,' said Mr Browne, adding that 'Jacqui's crusade of more than 40 years and my parents' crusade of over 63 years' was not over. Mr Browne called on the Government to issue 'an apology and an acknowledgment' to survivors of thalidomide. He said a healthcare package for survivors was 'urgently required'. Mr Browne concluded by saying 'the truth will never die', which drew strong applause from the congregation. In an interview with The Irish Times last year, Ms Browne said that receiving a State apology would give her closure and 'take this big cloud off from over my head'.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Irish Thalidomide Association ‘devastated' by death of Jacqui Browne
Jacqui Browne, a disability activist and thalidomide survivor, has died at the age of 63. Ms Browne, who was from Co Kerry, died peacefully at her home on Monday 'surrounded by her loving family' and a palliative care team. Ms Browne, who was born in November 1961, is predeceased by her parents Donal and Jean, and her brother-in-law Jean Paul Baro. She is survived by her siblings, nieces and nephews, and wider family. In her death notice , her family said they are 'heartbroken' by her passing. READ MORE Ms Browne will be reposing at the Gleasure Funeral Home in Tralee on Thursday from 6pm to 8pm. Her funeral Mass will take place at midday on Friday at St John's Church in Tralee. A spokeswoman for the Irish Thalidomide Association (ITA) said its members are 'devastated' by her death and 'grieving the loss of a great friend'. [ 'Physically there is so much I can't do': Thalidomide survivor Jacqui Browne believes the State is simply waiting for her to die ] Thalidomide was introduced in the mid-1950s to counter morning sickness but was withdrawn from most markets in 1961 after widespread evidence of it leading to birth defects. However, it was retained on the shelves in Ireland until 1964. The medication led to deformities and the deaths of thousands of babies across the world. Many children of women who took the drug in pregnancy were born without limbs, or shortened limbs, with hearing and vision impairments and injuries to internal organs. Members of the ITA have been campaigning for decades for a State apology for the immense toll thalidomide has had on their lives. Ms Browne, who worked as a disability equality consultant for more than 35 years, underwent several operations throughout her life due to the condition. In an interview with The Irish Times last year , she said that receiving a State apology would give her 'closure' and 'take this big cloud off from over my head'.
Irish Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Michael Healy Rae's property management firm records over €840,000 in profit over two years
A property management firm owned by Independent TD Michael Healy Rae has recorded combined profits of €841,908 over a two-year period. That is according to new accounts filed by the Kerry TD's Roughty Properties Ltd which show the company recorded post-tax profits of €376,048 in the 12 months to the end of May 2024. Accounts lodged last week by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture's property company showed it recorded a €465,860 post tax profitfrom May 9th, 2022 to May 31st, 2023. The profits for the two periods add up to a combined €841,908 post tax profit. READ MORE Mr Healy Rae's entry in the Dáil Register of Members' Interests statesthe firm's main activity is 'management of rental properties'. He describes himself in the register as an owner of rental properties and lists 17 separate properties for letting, including 14 houses. Separate figures published by the Department of Childrenshow Mr Healy Rae's Rosemont House in Tralee, which is used to house Ukrainian refugees, has received €1.22 million over two years and three months to the end of December last. In 2022, Kerry County Council refused planning permission to Roughty Properties Ltd's planning application for a three storey extension to expand the Rosemont Guest House. The property firm is now Mr Healy Rae's most profitable enterprise.
Irish Examiner
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Kerry SFL: Austin Stacks and Kerins O'Rahillys clash to decide title
This year's Kerry County League Division 1 title will be decided when Austin Stacks and Kerins O'Rahillys clash in the second last round at Connolly Park. Both sides are locked at top of the table on fifteen points each. It looks like a winner takes all game as both will be playing teams positioned towards the foot of the table in their final match. Stacks travelled to Beaufort who are battling relegation and emerged victorious 1-20 to 1-16. It was level after the opening quarter at 0-5 each. Fergal Hallissey was accurate from placed balls for the home side while Ferdia O'Brien (2), Brendan O'Sullivan and Sean Quilter had scored for Stacks. The Tralee side stretched 0-11 to 0-17 clear by the 25th minute thanks to two Ryan O'Driscoll points from play, and a two-point free and a close-in free from Quilter. They looked in control. But Beaufort, thanks to a Hallissey free and a goal from Ger Hartnett, saw the sides retire 1-9 to 0-12 at the interval and it was all to play for. Stacks were two clear by the 40th minute thanks to two Joe Reidy points, 0-15 to 1-10, when disaster struck for Beaufort when Sean Coffey, now playing outfield, picked up a yellow card following a clash with Ryan O'Driscoll. He then received a black and Beaufort were reduced to 14 players. But Beaufort refused to throw in the towel and Liam Carey fired over a two-pointer to level the contest 1-14 to 0-17 in the 59th minute. But Stacks finished the stronger with a Ferdia O'Brien goal and a point, and a point each from Ryan O'Driscoll and Joe Reidy. Stacks escaped to victory despite a late Fergal Hallissey two-pointer which brought his total to 0-9. Kerins O'Rahilly's had things far easier against a depleted Rathmore who were not only missing their county players but also those gone to the US. The Tralee club won as they liked on 6-15 to 2-10. O'Rahillys led 4-4 to 1-5 at half-time thanks to a brace of goals each from Conor Hayes and Darragh O'Connor despite an Alan Dineen goal from play for Rathmore. Ciaran Collins was waging a one-man battle for Rathmore but early second half two-pointers from O'Connor and Tom Hoare removed all doubt while O'Connor completed his hat-trick as the Tralee side moved 5-11 to 1-7 clear by the 46th minute. O'Rahillys cruised to a 17-point win. Glenflesk travelled to Glenbeigh to play the locals and they beat them 1-21 to 1-10 with a power-packed second half. This result means that Glenbeigh/Glencar are relegated but they fought hard in the opening half and trailed 1-10 to 1-6 with Callum Cronin and the Roche brothers Darragh and Dylan on the scoresheet. Glenbeigh could only manage four points in the second half while Tommy Bowler kicked three two-pointers and Darragh Roche continued to find the target. Glenflesk move to 10 points in fifth spot. In a relegation four-pointer, Laune Rangers managed to beat Ballymacelligott 2-16 to 1-14 but neither side are safe with Ballymac needing a miracle to stay up as they play Legion and Crokes, along with Beaufort, in their final games. There was nothing in the game at the interval with Rangers leading 1-7 to 0-9. A John Tyther goal from a penalty was the difference at the break with Niall Collins, Aidan Breen and a two-pointer from Donal Daly keeping Ballymac in touch. A point each from Eoin and Darragh Clifford and a two-pointer from Tyther pushed Rangers four clear but a Jack Joy two-pointer offered Ballymac hope. But then once Daire Cleary struck for a Rangers goal, they always controlled the game. Dr Crokes, who will probably have to settle for third place this year, won the Killarney derby by a point, beating Killarney Legion 1-11 to 0-13 with David Shaw kicking some fine second half scores. Crokes led by the minimum at half time, 1-6 to 0-8. Brian Looney, who lined out at midfield for Dr Crokes, kicked two points including the final score of the game. Kilcummin beat Spa 1-21 to 2-11 and that means Spa are still not safe. Philip O'Leary got the all important goal for the winners.
