Protecting cyclists
Sir, – Your page has featured letters from cyclists over the past few days observing dangerous driver behaviour. As a cyclist I was disappointed to read of a truck driver who had hit a cyclist and seriously injured her (“Truck driver given suspended sentence for careless driving that ‘nearly killed’ cyclist”, Home News, March 12th). I was further disappointed to read he got a suspended sentence and was not disqualified from driving.
Cyclists are vulnerable road-users. It is the responsibility of drivers to exercise due care and caution when sharing the road with them.
The cyclist was going to work and she did nothing wrong yet the truck driver who “drove without regard for her” goes unpunished. Your article quotes Judge Nolan as saying: “I think he will learn from this experience”, but will he? Has he?
What message does this suspended sentence send to drivers and cyclists? Are we at the stage now that a driver won’t be punished unless they kill another road user? As a cyclist, to me the message is clear: that it is okay for drivers to drive carelessly and injure another person and there will be no consequences so long as lessons are learned. – Yours, etc,
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SIOBHÁN McDERMOTT,
Killester,
Dublin 5.
Conflict in Ukraine
Sir, – Some reports suggest Russian demands include annexation of the regions of Ukraine not even totally under Russian control.
Those brokering a deal cannot and must not allow a sellout of the victim, Ukraine, in favour of the aggressor, the Russian federation. To give in to Vladimir Putin would simply show Donald Trump and the United States as weak and opportunistic and Mr Putin as clever and strong.
Looking forward, the next president of the US will not thank the present administration for mishandling the situation which – in my opinion – will result in a big setback for the MAGA movement.
Russia and China – if it continues to play its cards right – will cause all democratic countries and maybe even the US much bigger problems than we have at this time. – Yours, etc,
PAT O’REILLY,
Clonakilty,
Co Cork.
Sir, – Vladimir Putin said the ceasefire proposal must deal with the “root causes” of the conflict (“Putin says Russia supports ‘idea’ of Ukraine ceasefire” irishtimes.com, March 13th). Any honest appraisal of the war will show that Putin’s obsession with destroying Ukraine as an independent, democratic nation is the root cause of the conflict. – Yours, etc.
DAN DONOVAN,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford
Trump’s America
Sir, – Under the leadership of Lee Zeldin, appointed recently by Donald Trump, it seems that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now become the “Environment Pollution Agency”. He has announced the scrapping of 31 pieces of climate action legislation, a process he calls the “Great American Comeback”. Launching the initiative he said “Today is the greatest day of deregulation in US history. We are driving a dagger straight through the heart of the climate change religion”.
The pretext for this action is to drive on the American economy, but unfortunately it is bound to be disastrous for the US and for the world’s climate.
Unfortunately for Donald Trump his Mar-a-Lago property is located beside the ocean on a barrier island in Palm Beach in Florida, perhaps the state that could suffer most from the negative effects of climate change. Florida sits on porous limestone that, with saltwater intrusion from rising sea levels and increasing storm strengths, will lead to greater flooding, difficulties in their water utilities, and contamination of underground aquifers.
Smart property owners will start to sell out now and move to some other sunny location before the bottom falls out of the market as their houses flood or vanish into great big sinkholes caused by climate change. As for Mr Trump, he could persevere, literally weather the storm, and hold on to his resort, but if he wishes to continue playing golf there he might need a snorkel. – Yours, etc,
BOBBY CARTY,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – Hysteria reigns over the possible effect of Donald Trump’s tariffs, contortions and distortions on the currently described “successful ” Irish economy. We must be careful. The last thing we want is to return to those days when you could afford to have children and grandchildren, to see them in their own country (other than on exiled screen), preferably in a weatherproof building they could source and afford to buy in their land of birth.
No. Let us hang on to the willing-slave state of existence in a “successful modern Ireland ” where even potatoes are individually priced. – Yours, etc,
EUGENE TANNAM,
Firhouse,
Dublin 24.
Sir, – An unhinged dictator’s attempt to take over not one, but two neighbouring states, being subject to increasing trade restrictions, citizens fleeing to Europe for a safer life, Vladimir Putin must be happy to have a like-minded buddy on the far side of the Atlantic. – Yours, etc,
JOHN K ROGERS,
Rathowen,
Co Westmeath.
Mr Martin goes to Washington
Sir, – The reaction to Micheál Martin’s trip to the White House is that he escaped relatively unscathed in what might have been a much more fraught encounter. However, I was disappointed that the Taoiseach did not stand up for Europe as Donald Trump went on a tirade based on the very concept of a union of Europe. It is clear that Mr Trump, his vice-president, and his MAGA allies detest what can be broadly described as the European project – a robust regulatory system, progressive social policies and respect for human rights.
Now is not the time to stand back; the barbarians are at the gate. – Yours, etc,
PAUL ARTHERTON,
Lenaghan Crescent,
Belfast,
Co Antrim.
Sir, – It was embarrassing to hear Taoiseach Micheál Martin say, outside the Oval Office, that Irish workers had built the White House. While an Irish architect designed and supervised the work, the bulk of it was done by Black African slaves – including three men owned by the architect himself. It is one thing to prostrate oneself before the new self-proclaimed sun god, another to elide a shameful part of our history as part of that effort. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN MURPHY,
President Emeritus,
De Anza College,
California.
A metro for Dublin
Sir, – In October 1950, the Belfast News Letter reported that: “The first Belfast to Cork train left Belfast on the morning of Monday, October 2, 1950, at 10.30am, arriving in Cork at 5.10pm. This the longest regular run in the history of railways in Ireland. It will provide connections for Ulster travellers with the Eire trans-Atlantic shipping and air lines.”
Seventy-five years later, it is not possible to travel continuously from Belfast to Cork or Limerick in a single journey.
Dublin Airport currently handles 84 per cent of passenger air traffic into Ireland. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure. The decision to defer critical heavy rail infrastructure such as the Dublin Interconnector tunnel with Dart facilities to the airport and Swords is one that needs immediate attention. It cannot be the case that €23bn+ over the coming decade is spent to bring in a piece of infrastructure that will only service Dublin Airport to Dublin City Centre and north County Dublin.
Why is it that our regional politicians are not demanding a reset in the provision of funds, especially when alternatives exist? How about a “unifying” piece of infrastructure such as the Dublin interconnector tunnel (or indeed an upgraded Phoenix Park tunnel) that would allow fully integrated rail access to Dublin Airport from Derry to Tralee and everything in between?
It is surely in the interests of our regional TDs from Kerry to Donegal to ensure that there is material benefit to the provision of an investment of this size to their regions. It is hard to see how spending $23bn+ bringing a metro to Dublin City Centre, as opposed to integrating Dublin Airport to the national infrastructure network, achieves those aims.
This week saw trials of hybrid electric and battery-operated trains for Kildare. These trains would allow for reduced overhead electrical infrastructure which was not envisaged when the Dublin Interconnector was proposed. Introducing new capacity to the northern line from Drogheda to Connolly is decades overdue.
In 1950 it was possible to take the Enterprise train from Belfast to Cork and Limerick. Seventy-five ears on, I would argue that there is not a more apt infrastructural project for this island in 2025. – Yours, etc,
HUGH MCGAHON
Broadale,
Co Cork.
Sir, – Michael McDowell (“Will no one shout stop as the MetroLink bill heads past €20bn?” March 12th) bemoans the lack of a coherent traffic plan for Dublin. He is right. However, when my last count showed there are at least 64 statutory and policy bodies responsible for traffic and transport in Dublin alone it is not hard to see why progress is not made. The fact that this is deliberately the case makes things worse.
Dublin needs an accountable Dublin transport authority. It does not need the present National Transport Authority structure. It is not rocket-science. – Yours, etc.
DERMOT LACEY,
Donnybrook,
Dublin 4.
Autumn in Australia
Sir, – I’d like to compliment Laura Kennedy on her beautifully written evocative piece about the season changes in Australia (“Chilly walks and hot chocolate are just around the corner”, Life, March 12th). What could have been a simple descriptive article about the onset of autumn was instead rich in its creative language. A joy to read as we here at home shiver in the cold March winds but look forward to a long warm summer. – Yours, etc,
CIARAN CUNNINGHAM,
Letterkenny,
Co. Donegal.
Church closures
Sir, – It was with a certain sadness that I noted the deconsecration of Christ Church, Leeson Park (“Leeson Park church deconsecrated and to be put on the market”, March 14th). However, that sense of melancholy relates to the structure, not the mission.
This building has served usefully since 1862, and its potential sale is more a reflection of population shifts than a dying faith. All around the Diocese of Dublin & Glendalough, and indeed the country, there are exciting initiatives (Messy Church, Pioneer Ministry etc) that are adding a vibrancy and excitement to the Christian mission of the Church of Ireland.
In an age of worldwide political uncertainty, climate change and challenging social issues, the Gospel message that was once enthusiastically enunciated from the pulpit of Christ Church Leeson Park still reverberates with passion and relevance today. The building may be going, but the message it once delivered is still available and needed more than ever. – Yours, etc,
GEOFF SCARGILL,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.
Gaelic football rules
Sir, – To describe the latest changes to the rules of Gaelic football as a ‘tweaking’ without referencing the fact that the people who devised the rules they now need to ‘tweak’ failed to even contemplate the effect of their own original changes is quite extraordinary (“Tweaks by FRC are minimalist but likely to have a big impact”, Sport, March 8th).
We now wish to prescribe the role of the goalkeeper to such an extent that where he appears on the pitch, where he places his kick-out and whether he can participate in the play are to be the subject of endless regulation. Why not dispense with the role altogether and restart after every score with a regulated throw-in (or kick-off) on the halfway line?
Of course, we could mark the entire pitch out in squares (or parallelograms) and provide that each team must have a player in each designated space at all times. Provision might need to be made for people straying marginally outside their space, of course. – Yours, etc,
BILLY HANNIGAN,
Limekiln,
Dublin 12.
