Galway Advertiser 2002/2002_04_04/GA_04042002_E1_022.pdf 

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Letters

The problem with single d w e l l i n g s
Dear Editor, I'm a citizen of Galway. I've grown up and lived in Galway all my life. I'm taking a break from a career in chemistry and am currently travelling around the world together with half the youth of Ireland it seems. Troubles at home it seems. Your editorial in the Galway Advertiser was interesting to me (thank you internet). I now realise that Ireland is a very beautiful country. The Galway area as we all know is the greatest. One off housing by individuals in the countryside damages the natural heritage I believe. The number of people with an emotional attachment to the countryside and its amenity value is infinitely greater than those who have that privilege of building in these open spaces. You refer to it as an emotional link. This emotional link happens to improve the quality of life of many peo ple Fishing, walking, driving, swimming, cutting turf, you name it in the countryside who may also come from more urban areas and beyond. This emotional link is the secret of the formidable tourist industry in our country. For every house built in this way one individual/family is made happy and 100 have to endure its presence and lament what was there before. In addition these houses are getting larger and more imposing, naturally as people have more money. This induces a feeling (as you put it) also that there is a dis regard of any love for the natural environment. Where does one oil housing end? More houses will come year after year. It is time to look at the overall picture. The value of rural areas for Irish people and non-Irish visitors is at stake. For a start it is time that planning is controlled more and that rural areas are preserved. I thought that building in some areas was only for those who owned and lived on the land? This seems to be not functioning properly. In reality planning permis sion is passed on, if indirectly, to anyone with cash waiting. For economic and social reasons and the bigger pic ture in general (not just Galway) the law must protect our great country from the long term damage caused by one off housing. The example of New Zealand is appro priate. The Department of Conservation there, the equiva lent of Duchas has ensured that there is a preserved nat ural area within a stones throw of everyone living there. The population density is similar to Ireland's. The con servation measures (laws) are fully enforced. The people can be assured that the country will stay green as the economy flourishes and the visitors keep coming. In 50 years people looking at a travel brochure should not have to choose New Zealand over Ireland for nature. Those flights are getting cheaper you know. So let's give Duchas a little more money and let them swing into action. I could name a landscape or two that needs rescuing urgently, couldn't you? A quick analogy: The hunting with hounds debate in England is clearly urban versus rural, ie, people who don't have an interest in hunting versus those that depend on it for a living or enjoy it as a genuine pastime. Concerning Ireland, both rural AND urban areas depend on and/or have a genuine interest in the preser vation of nature. The difference is, everybody benefits (economically and socially) from decent planning laws. Here the hounds can be banned. Please let's also count the people with 'emotional links' (and there's a lot of us and more every day whether from Rahoon or Manhattan) who wish to work and play in unspoilt rural areas - we're all paying guests don't worry. Yours, Ben Schazmann, Mincloon, Rahoon, Galway

Gas line suggestion is a cynical votegetting exercise
Dear Editor, I was extremely angry when I read (Galway Advertiser Mar 28) that Dana wants to see gas from the Corrib field piped to the homes and industries of Connemara. I see this as nothing more than a cynical vote getting exercise for the upcoming General Election. Indeed, she has been strongly andrightlycriti cised by Frank Fahey. But then again, Fahey as Minister for Marine and Natural Resources has himself come under strong criticism in the media for his handling of the sale of the same gas. Many feel that the conditions and terms offered to the energy companies for the gas were far too generous. What I suggest doing is going beyond Dana's voting gimmicks and beyond Fahey's practical giveaway of the Corrib gas field. What I would like to see is Ireland getting reallys serious about renewable energy such as wind energy! ~TM The west coast of Ireland has some extremely favourable conditions for generating electricity from wind, indeed, it has some of the best condi tions in Europe. Also, natural gas is a finite resource and like oil, it will run out one day if we keep extracting it. However wind energy and other renewable would last forever. In addition, I'm sure Dana would be pleased to know that virtually every home and industry in the Galway West constituency is already con nected to the electricity grid. With wind energy there would be no need for a vast pipe network to bring the energy all the way to people's h m s o e and to industries like there would be for gas. Yours Caomhin O Maolallaigh, Galway

Dana and Collins
Dear Editor, While I have no desire to get embroiled in the war of words between Deirdre Manifold and Rosaleen Long, both of whom I know, I feel that 1 must comment on two points in Deirdre's letter in the Galway Advertiser dated March 28. Firstly like Rosaleen, I supported Dana in the European election but 1 hope she enters the race for the Dail. I am deeply disappointed in her, if she comes to my door canvassing, she will get short shrift. Fooled once Dana, but never again. Now to Deirdre, she stated "I used my influ ence as a writer with an international reputa tion..." really Deirdre! You should realise that Galway is still a small place and many people know you and your reputation as a writer. My second point Deirdre. You stated "...very many people I know agree that Dana is the b s et thing that happened to Ireland since the death of Michael Collins." I would have thought thai t e h death of Collins, like those of Harry Boland and Liam Lynch, was a tragedy. For a writer of inter national reputation, Deirdre, I am almost as dis appointed in you as I am in Dana. Yours, RJ Kelly, Rahoon.

First animals and then people
Dear Editor A recent report by the Health Research Board has shown that nearly 40 per cent of Irish women have experienced domestic violence. An interesting finding behind the grim statistics is a clear link between experiencing controlling behaviour and violence. Abusers love being in control. Seeing another person or animal suffering as a result of the abuser's actions gives them a sense of importance and feeds their ego of being a "hard" man. A huge volume of research exists, which shows a strong correlation between substantial animal abuse in childhood and later personal violence to humans. This research should alert parents, social leaders, health workers and the legal system to the importance of animal cruelty as a potential indicator of disturbed family relation ships and future aggressive behaviour towards humans. Respect for animals is respect for human beings and hurt ing animals hurts human beings. When an adult harms a child in a household with a dog or cat or other animal all too likely the animal has been abused. When social scientists study violent criminals including serial killers, a similar pat tern emerges. Before killing or assaulting human beings these criminals Not every animal abuser will make the jump from animal to human but the conditions are pregnant withrisk.Those who hunt animals are addicted to the sense of controlling the situation in which an animal is terrorised and killed. The more drawn out the hunt the better the excitement of finally killing the animal. In domestic violence terms the abuser enjoys drawing out the amount of physical, emotional and sexual violence perpetrated on his victim. Then one day bored with the game he goes too far and gets caught or worse snuffs out the life of this victim without a glimmer of a conscience. The link between animal and human abuse is well established. Society needs to accept and deal with the fact that those who kill animals for fun have a serious medically untreated mental illness. The urge to torture and kills animals for fun is no more normal than the desire to inflict physical, mental, and sexual abuse on a human victim. Yours, John Tierney Campaigns Director - Association of Hunt Saboteurs PO Box 4734 Dublin I

Planning and democracy
Dear Editor,
A member of An Taisce pointed out that the 20 euro charge combined with a five-week window for objections is anti democratic. To follow on from the recent article on lack of funding for recycling, I would like to point out that the law intro d u c e d by Minister Noel Dempsey to bypass local politicians in relation to waste management is even more anti democratic. What it means is that the county and city managers, who are civil servants, and whose boss is the Minister have been asked to sign t h e C o n n a c h t Waste Management Plan. The Managers they have duly obliged as most good e m p l o y e e s w o u l d and signed the plan. I would like to point out to the Government that the signatures of 22.000 people in Galway should not be i g n o r e d . T h a n k f u l l y we still have a democracy in this country and with and election on the way, the Government should ignore the will of the people at its own peril. Finally, it has been suggested the election will be on a Thursday, which makes no sense. I add my voice to the recent writers to your newspaper in calling for elections at the w e e k e n d for this election and going forward, as the current policy pre vents many voters from exercising their democratic right to vote. Yours, Kieran C u n n a n e , Renmore.

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