EDITOR – Karen Coakley (and Joe Carroll), as I perceive the function of a County Council, it is to manage the area’s various aspects of civic infrastructure as best suits the residents and visitors who use them.
Those, like the two of you, are elected to do that as the ultimate tier of management, as regards decision making, yet it seems the tails are wagging the dog.
Of course, there will be technical matters that are outside your personal knowledge, and for which advice may need to be sought from the likes of area engineers but ultimately, if those consultations are agreeable, it will fall within your mandate to issue instructions for work to proceed.
My raising of the topic is stimulated by Brian Moore dragging it back into the public gaze with his large article in a recent edition of this newspaper.
To date, I’ve seen nothing of an overall masterplan with details of how it would be executed. Why it can’t be done should merit explanation so that the public can follow up with challenges as they think fit.
If the only problem is the safety of the footbridge, what would repairs cost? Are they acceptable? If ‘yes’, go ahead. If ‘no’, is there a cheaper way?
Has the Council examined the possibility of making the whole of North Street a ‘no parking’ zone with two-way traffic unhindered?
This is eminently feasible by siting a second modest bridge across the river that would link North St and the proposed car park, access being via the alleyway beside Fallons and the old Wheelwrights shop.
Nick Turner,
Drimoleague
Inclusivity should not exclude Christians
EDITOR – I just felt I had to write about ‘why we need pride flags’ (July 24th). I agree that West Cork has achieved a lot in terms of inclusion, but if it is welcoming those of difference, as Lucy Boland says (July 24th), does that not include Gearoid Duffy?
Also, the dismissal of the cross is slightly offensive to many people.
People also have a right to their belief in Jesus.
Anne Keohane,
Connolly Street,
Bandon
Local employment service under threat
EDITOR – The local employment service and jobs clubs which have served the long-term unemployed across Ireland for 25 years will cease imminently.
The government plans to replace them with a new for-profit service that is not supported by any stakeholder group or research body in Ireland.
It transfers risk from the State to community organisations who exist to maximise social, rather than shareholder, value.
It excludes large parts of the population eg carers, lone parents and all those seeking a way out of precarious and low-paid employment.
This State has effective mechanisms in place through social dialogue to achieve consensus on intractable political and economic problems.
It is not too late to bring together the stakeholders of employment services to determine a model of changed service that works.
Until that happens, the December deadline which will close these offices must be withdrawn.
Jim Finn,
Chairperson
Irish Local Development Network
Tallaght,
Dublin 24
Justice is delayed once more
EDITOR – Between August 9th and 11th, 1971 the first battalion of the Parachute Regiment murdered 10 people in Ballymurphy Belfast, including a priest.
On Sunday January 30th 1972, the same regiment murdered a further 14 in Derry in what became known as Bloody Sunday, during a civil rights march.
So, in six months, in two incidents the British army murdered 24 people. These crimes took place 50 years ago not one British soldier has spent a day in jail for these crimes.
Did any government minister take pride in supporting the 50-year pursuit of justice for these heinous crimes?
They had to be brought through the courts screaming and kicking by the Ballymurphy justice campaign. We also have the Dublin/Monaghan bombings and another attempt on the Widow Scallans pub, where the doorman also lost his life saving 300 people attending a function, plus the Miami Showband massacre, and the murder of human rights lawyer Pat Finucane.
The British government has used every trick in the book to hinder justice and, as the saying goes, ‘justice delayed is justice denied’.
Noel Harrington,
Kinsale
