Tag Archives: Irish Times Letters

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Today’s Irish Times letters

Ross writes:

Just thought you might be interested in this. I didn’t know the Irish Times edited the letters to the editor to such a degree. Above is the published version. Below is the original…

Dear Sir,

As a scientist I feel that I must comment on the recent statements from Irish Water on the potential presence of Lead in drinking water. The assertion that hundreds of thousands of homes have drinking water with potentially toxic levels of Lead is entirely bogus.
As Lead is very easy to detect and analyse for by many quite straightforward analytical techniques,the only certain way to know what the levels of Lead are in any particular water supply is to chemically analyse them all.
This has not been done and my feeling is that it will not and cannot be done in any practical way by Irish Water.In the UK permitted levels of Lead in drinking water should not exceed 0.01 ppm which is a miniscule but highly detectable amount. Also,Irish Water have not highlighted the different chemistry that goes on inside Lead pipes in hard water and soft water areas.
Generally in hard water areas a virtually insoluble coating of various Lead Carbonates coat the inside of the pipes making the water contained less susceptible to contamination with Lead. In soft water areas and areas with lower pH water the lead is much more soluble and the contamination with Lead should be greater in some areas in the UK the water company actively raises the pH of the water for this reason.
Here in Lismore we are blessed with two water sources,one to the North gives soft water and the other to the South gives hard water.I would like to suggest to Irish Water that they engage in more science and less hysteria.

Dr.Bernard Leddy PhD,C.Chem,CSci,MRCS,MPSI.
Lismore,
Co.Waterford

Irish Times Letters

Bernard Leddy (Facebook)

Screen Shot 2015-02-24 at 11.51.39Dr John Murray of the Iona Institute

From the Irish Times letters page…

Sir, – Patsy McGarry in his report on a debate on the upcoming marriage referendum has misrepresented two things I said in my 15-minute speech in this debate (“Historic marriage equality debate held at King’s Inns”, February 20th). First, he reports that I said that a Yes vote would lead to marriage being abolished and no longer existing. What I said was that marriage, as it now is, and historically has been understood, as a union of one man and one woman, would no longer exist.

Second, he reports that I said that other relationships, such as civil partnerships and guardianships, “cannot be placed alongside marriage as equally good”. What I actually said was that “other relationships and family forms cannot be placed alongside marriage and the family founded on marriage as always equally good for family and children. No other relationship or family form . . . has the capacity to provide a child with a loving mother and father united in a comprehensive life-long, publicly and legally committed union”.

Right so.

Marriage referendum (Irish Times letters page)

letter

Abortion and the law (Letters, Irish Times)


Why Ireland became the only country in the democratic world to have a constitutional ban on abortion (Fintan O’Toole, Irish Times)

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Buddleia

A chara, – Is there anything to be said for the rampant buddleia to be seen in recent weeks, sprouting from windowsills, carparks, scrubland and even chimney stacks? The species becomes more brazen by the year. And yet, no steps are taken to rein it in. It is on a par with the seagulls.

Is mise,
CORMAC O’CULAIN,
McKee Park,
Dublin 7

Anyone?

Rampant buddleia (Irish Times letters)

Screen Shot 2014-06-17 at 02.54.56 Senator Catherine Noone and Taoiseach Enda Kenny

Sir, – Further to Una Mullally’s article (“Getting hot under the collar about ice cream vans”, Opinion & Analysis, June 16th) regarding my recent comments in the Seanad, I feel the need to set the record straight.

I brought up the issue of ice cream vans in the Seanad because when a parent from Wexford raised the topic with me, it struck a chord. The omnipresent chime of the ice cream van at this time of year is just one very small example of the pressures facing parents who are trying to keep their children away from sugar-laden treats. Obesity is not a trivial matter and it is certainly not something I would ever attempt to make light of.

I know all too well that it can’t be solved by regulating ice cream vans; that we need more education; that parents must say no; that children need to be more active; and most of all that a so-called nanny state is not in any way progressive.

Despite taking some flak over the last week, I will continue to talk about obesity and to suggest ideas – be they big or small – on how we can go about reducing it.

Yours, etc,

Seantor Catherine Noone

Leinster House,

Kildare Street,

Dublin 2

Tackling childhood obesity (Letters, Irish Times)

Pic: Catherine Noone (flickr)

Previously: Sundae Bloody Sundae

Raise The Price of The Morning-After Pill, You Say?

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Why can’t Enda Kenny, Alan Shatter, Martin Callinan, Brian Purcell and any other person appointed to or holding public office appear before a Dáil committee to answer in public reasonable questions put by the people’s elected representatives on matters of public interest in connection with how they discharged their duties?
It is ludicrous for Enda Kenny to refuse to answer a question where he has a specific and definite involvement because he has appointed a judge to ask him that question at some time in the future. – Yours, etc,

Hugh Pierce
Newtown Road,
Celbridge ,
Co Kildare.

Irish Times Letters

Photocall Ireland

boarfish

‘sup?

The Boarfish.

Always in the way.

There is a great deal of publicity regarding the new fish processing factory in Killybegs, Co Donegal, and the fact that boarfish are to be the principal feedstock of this enterprise. Not wanting to pour cold water on the enterprise, but these fish are presently viewed as a nuisance catch in mackerel fisheries. Try telling that to the larger species which live on them.
Would it not be better if the present system of discards was harnessed to provide an ethical and environmental friendly source of feed stocks rather than pillaging yet another valuable and unappreciated natural asset?

John K Rogers
Rathowen,
Co Westmeath.

Irish Times Letters

Pic Natigeo

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The Shard Building in London

From the Irish Times letters page:

Sir, – Thomas Piketty’s analysis (Capital in the Twenty-First Century) of global income inequality is brought into sharp relief with the news today that a one-night stay in the hotel located in London’s Shard building will cost you £14,000. According to the World Bank Development Indicators 2008, half the world’s population lives on $2.50 a day. £14,000 is worth $23,728, which divided by $2.50 gives 9,491 days. Dividing this by 365 gives 26 years. One night in the Shard costs the amount of money that half of the world’s population live on for 26 years. – Yours, etc,

FIGHT!

One night in the Shard (Irish Times)

Pic: Electroautomation