Madam, - The departing Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, has awarded the GAA an additional "no-strings-attached" €40 million grant, bringing the total taxpayer funding for the renewal of Croke Park to some €109 million (41 per cent of the total cost). This is deeply insulting to the country's education and health services, which remain critically under-resourced.
The previous Minister for Education had to go cap-in-hand to Mr McCreevy in order to secure a similar amount for college students from disadvantaged backgrounds. I am astounded that the Government should place less value on the funding of education and other rights-based services than granting of "free" money to a sports body - particularly, as in this instance, without any secure return for that money.
This Government's ability suddenly to find money for non-rights-based programmes at a time when there are hospital wards understaffed, primary schools with rotting buildings and a massive under-funding throughout the public services, is beyond even the most immoral, neo-liberal regimes.
The incoming Minister, Mr Cowen, and the FF-PD Government need to be sent a clear message that taxpayers' money is not their personal war chest for funding the wants of a select group in Irish society and must be used to benefit the public in general. - Yours, etc.,
REBECCA MOYNIHAN,
National Chair, Labour Youth,
Ely Place,
Dublin 2.
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Madam, - Congratulations to the GAA on its latest "no-strings-attached" €40 million. But have we not a great wealth of leisure centres, high-tech gyms, racecourses, golf courses and other adult amenities, not to dwell on the nocturnal playground of the public house?
Meanwhile, a generation of children have grown up on the estate here without a long-promised playground. And then we wonder why, when they get into trouble, they come out of the courthouse to shock and awe us with a two-fingered gesture to our hallowed institutions of justice.
Do they still use that phrase "a bit Irish"? - Yours, etc.,
DAMIEN FLINTER,
Tullyvoheen,
Clifden,
Co Galway.