Letters to the Editor: Award Scott medals as soon as possible

To award a posthumous medal to the family, or extended family, of a Garda member, murdered or killed in the execution of his or her duty, decades after the ultimate sacrifice has been made, is gratuitous and, I believe, meaningless.

I am not saying that those families acting on behalf of the deceased members didn’t deserve the award, but why does it take decades to award a medal to a member of the force, or his family, when the powers that be in Garda HQ are well aware, given the extensive files that are compiled regarding incidents involving the death or serious injury of a Garda member on duty, of the circumstances of the cases before them?

Why the inordinate delay in awarding what should be a given?

What are the reasons, or lack thereof, behind the decision-making process?

Who sits on the award board, and are they qualified to make a judgment on this most auspicious award?

I have written to the Minister for Justice, An Taoiseach, other parliamentarians, and the Garda Commissioner, asking why they haven’t awarded Scott medals to two members of the force in Donegal who lost their lives in the execution of their duties in 2009.

Those members are Garda Robert McCallion and Garda Gary McLoughlin.

Their families deserve, as do these members, to be recognised for the sacrifices their sons made.

Far too many times we have witnessed these belated awards being given to Garda members who were seriously injured, frail or elderly, or who have died.

We need to accelerate the process to ensure that those families, or living Garda members, are awarded this award in a timely fashion.

Does not the ultimate sacrifice made by Garda McCallion or Garda McLoughlin fall into the remit of “most exceptional bravery and heroism involving the risk of life in the execution of duty”?

Christy Galligan (retired Gda Sgt), Letterkenny, Co Donegal

Seanad vote for all

Throughout the October 2022 Supreme Court hearing of my legal challenge to the current legislation on the Seanad franchise — and during the subsequent hearing in July 2023 — one consistent point was repeatedly made by the Attorney General and his representatives: the Government can’t force TDs to vote for specific legislation on Seanad electoral reform.

And yet, we are told now that 18 months after the court told the Government the system it had actively defended is unconstitutional, the Government will have legislation passed that will extend the vote in Seanad elections to more college graduates.

TDs should think very carefully about voting for a bill in the Dáil which will continue to disenfranchise the majority of people in Ireland and instead place the right to vote in parliamentary elections with college graduates — and councillors, TDs, and senators — alone.

I’m not sure that “you need a degree to vote” is the argument TDs wish to be making to their constituents during the upcoming general election, particularly to those without college degrees.

The alternative to this is to extend the vote in Seanad elections to everyone, regardless of educational qualifications. This was endorsed in the 2013 referendum on the Seanad, the government-sponsored 2015 Manning report, and the 2018 report of the all-party Seanad Reform Implementation Group. The Tánaiste Micheál Martin himself argued for this in the Dáil in 2014.

A smart TD would back reform that extends the right to vote in Seanad elections to all, rather than the one being proposed by the Government.

Tomás Heneghan, East Wall, Dublin 3

Reduce fees for digital self-service

As the provision of government and local authority services migrates to a digital self-service office, can we expect a reduction in fees?

This finance infused thought came to me when renewing my driving licence online.

Breaking down the process; I am providing the home office environment to do the renewal, paying for the expensive electricity to run the process, and my computer is being used to do the online paperwork. Add to this is my time factor.

All of this is based around a broadband connection that is even slower than a snail who has realised he left the immersion on.

(Some rural citizens are still waiting for the fibre visit of National Broadband Ireland.)

This self-service driving licence renewal is charged at €55.

While accepting that there is a cost for everything in life, there is merit in believing that the cost of service provision must come down when a digital service pipeline is established.

Putting the cost of services on a digital diet to reflect the self-service element would be a smart move.

If our government wants to create a citizens' digital workforce by proxy, it must offer a financial incentive to encourage people to engage with e-services.

Digital DIY is a convenient service but asking us to continue paying expensive fees adds lustre to Ireland’s gold standard in rip-off culture.

John Tierney, Waterford

Homework needs a complete rethink

I recently visited my son and couldn’t help noticing a large pile of school books on the table; my 14-year-old grandson’s homework texts carried home and back every school day. Hefting them, I estimated they weighed more than 22kg. He’s a strapping lad but his mother said she sees small school girls hunched over with large backpacks of these homework books walking up the many steps.

As well as this potentially causing physical damage to backs, homework is of exaggerated value. The Finnish school system law declaring all homework illegal is sensible. The time in school should be adequate for learning and the valuable time at home should not be expropriated for this.

Homework philosophy and practice need serious rethinking.

Orin Flint, Rosscarbery, Co Cork

A selfish nation

Regarding — ‘Limerick home buyers ‘scared to live near a graveyard as they get the heebie-jeebies’’ (Irish Examiner, September 9) — the dead are harmless. It’s the living who are the problem. If the people who were there before they moved in objected where would they be now? What a selfish nation of people we’ve become.

Tim Butler, The Viaduct, Cork

A sporting hero

Congratulations to all our Irish Olympians, past and present. I believe it also takes more than athleticism to become a true Olympic hero. Last Saturday, while on holiday in Kerry, I was out to cheer on the 3,000 or so participants who took part in the Dingle full and half marathons.

Well into the race I met a truly brave man whom I consider to be of Olympic status. I don’t know him but think he is an inspiration. Gerry Ford (from Cork) completed the full marathon in a modified wheelchair. The effort I saw him putting into the tough uphill kilometres from Bric’s Brewery on the Slea Head Drive to the top of Lateeve Mor and on into Dingle was outstanding. Congrats Gerry.

Maeve Heffernan (by email)

Health insurance

With regard to the cost of health insurance: We live in Donegal and have no access to either private urgent care centres or indeed private hospitals at all.

We are seniors with very little claim histories thank goodness.

We are paying very high premiums and it’s clear we do not get value for money.

We don’t need maternity cover at our age. It’s totally ridiculous.

Health insurance should be targeted to what the individuals need especially as we get older.

Rosemary McArt, Donegal

University funding

I strenuously disagree with Sean O’Driscoll’s comments regarding multi-annual funding and the need for additional resources within universities — ‘Viability of Irish universities at risk over funding’ (Irish Examiner, September 9). Let me cite two examples within the context of DCU:

Firstly, the DCU online staff description cites 54 staff within the human resources department.

This section organises short courses and a multiplicity of issues regarding staff wellbeing and advancement.

I contend that none of these are required. In addition the library is starved of journal and database material. A fraction of the staff reduction savings within the HR department would see this area of the library flourish.

Secondly, the faculties have copious admin assistants and other support staff. These staff, for example, are generating copious statistical information. This is often perused at an exam board meeting, commented upon, and then discarded. No subsequent use is made of this material.

I personally remember generating the information necessary (for the total school) for an exam board meeting within a two-day period. I was a junior lecturer at that time.

I could cite many more examples but I hope this gives you a flavour of the financial waste in universities.

Prof Tommy Curran, retired from Dublin City University, Dublin 5