Galway Advertiser 2005/2005_11_24/GA_2411_E1_034.pdf 

Extracted text

34

LETTERS
Dear Editor, At last week's city council meeting the Progressive Democrat councillors were accused of scaremongering on the lighting of illegal bonfires in particular by councillors Billy Cameron and Tom Costello of the Labour Party. At that meeting I related to Cllr Tom Costello,that as he resides in the county, where there are huge land banks of farm land, that bonfires there would not be an issue . I personally would like to state that I do not object to supervised arranged bonfires with the consent of the city council, but I certainly object to indiscriminate illegal fires particularly the ones that take place on Halloween night in residental estates. I would like to ask those two members of the Labour Party to take some time out to visit the sites where the fires took place to see for themselves the damage and ugliness from the aftermath of those illegal fires, and also the cost to the city's rate-payers for the massive clean up. nAll of the green sites will have to be topsoiled and grass seed spread over the scorched areas, otherwise they will remain in the unsightly state that they are currently in. It appears to me that anybody anywhere, particularly on Halloween night can take the law into their own hands and set up fires anywhere they choose, they can take all the contents from their homes particularly items with toxic substances, eg; sofas, mattresses, etc, and add them to the illegal fires and use them as incinerators, and it seems to me there is no one with the will to prevent them from doing so. I am personally aware that a bonfire took place and that the shop in area where the normal closing time is 9pm, but on Halloween night because of intimidation the shopkeeper made a decision to close his premises at 7pm, and when his staff turned up to open the shop the next day, the large bundles of the daily newspapers that were left outside his premises early the next morning were burnt in the fire. Also in that same area one of the residents which quite a number of people witnessed was seen adding some items that had been stored in his back yard probably waiting for the illegal fire to take place . While I am very grateful that there was no loss of life or limb, I feel it's only a matter of time before a situation like this could happen, the anti-social behaviour which took place at some of the fires is not taken into account particularly by those who accused me of scaremongering. I have been very outspoken in my stance on the illegal fires over the past five years and I will continue to be so, and I am very pleased that there were five fires less this year than other years that I am aware of. There may have been more. I feel this is a success and hopefully this trend will continue in the future. Because of my stance on this issue

November 24 2005

I don't want politicians' Christmas cards
Dear Editor, Today I received my first Christmas card of 2005. It was from Padraic McCormack and Eilish I do not know Mr McCormack or his wife. I am aware of who he is through the media but I have no wish to start exchanging Christmas cards with them. I strongly object to this misuse of taxpayers' money in what, I can only assume, is an attempt to impress the electorate. If Mr McCormack, or indeed any other politician, wishes to impress me as a voter, he should understand that, when casting my vote I will rely, as I always have, on records of past performance and not on whether or not I received a Christmas card. I would like to suggest instead that our politicians donate the `Christmas card fund' to a more deserving cause, like the many charities which are crying out for support this time of year. That would certainly get my vote. Yours, Maura Green, Claregalway.

I'm no spoilsport, says anti-fire councillor
I am particularly pleased that the bonfire item is now at last going to be addressed by the Environment Stragetic Policy Committee, and I sincerely hope that this item is not going to remain at the bottom of the agenda, and discussed only at Halloween time. I would like to compliment the city council staff in the Environment section, for the hard work and dedication both on the lead up to and on the day the bonfires took place; and also the Gardai and the emergency services, who informed me that it was their busiest night of the year. I would like to stress that I am not a spoilsport, far from it and I would particularly like to compliment all of the parents and children who made Halloween a celebration they deserve to be commended, it would be great to see others following their example. Yours, Cllr Terry O' Flaherty North & East Ward.

Men need a voice in family court system
Dear Editor, Please find enclosed some documentation that will highlight the urgent need for this project to be brought to the fore. There seems to be a great reluctance by the news media to grant people like myself a chance to air our genuine grievances against a society in general and the judiciary in particular that is hellbent on destroying the very core and fabric of our family life under the guise of doing what's best for the child, by constantly eroding the integrity and love of a father for his children. Thankfully the in-camera ruling has been relaxed, so for once one may get an insight into the workings of the family court system. But until now no statistics are available, as there was no record kept of the judgements and the basis on which they were made. The judges were never open to scrutiny, because they are given total freedom by the constitution to pass judgements as deemed fit. This led to highly controversial, questionable and biased judgements being passed by their lordships. Even thought the rhetoric of the legal profession is still the same that each case is decided on merit, the claim is as nonsensical as it gets. It's the same profession whose members tell you straight that when you go to court the judge will not hear anything against the mother. Then you are told you will always come out of the court with less than what you started with. Another bone of contention is the lawyers' fees. You are never told what it will cost. Taking into consideration you are going to lose anyway there is a great variance in the fees charged by lawyers who have been known to have put their own clients in receivership to recover their fees. The Law Society is totally inept and impotent in dealing with complaints against its members, whose competence is questionable at the best of times, of which I have had first hand experience. Then there are the gardai, who are most reluctant in enforcing access orders against mothers. So are their lordships when women have been found to be in non compliance or breach of court orders. Yet I know of men who have been ordered out of their hospital beds, leg in plaster cast, because they failed to make that week's maintenance and were threatened with imprisonment. I have worked in the sports industry for some years and have come into contact with a lot of people from various walks of life. I have spoken to retired court clerks, solicitors, barristers, psychologists, counsellors and sundry others. I also have had the pleasure of speaking to some senior politicians, local politicians, and a minister or two. Each and every one of them has acknowledged the inadequacies and shortcomings of our family court system yet no one seems to be willing to take this matter on publicly. So much for equality by race, gender, and else. The worst episode is that it's almost always the children who seem to draw the short straw. Damned if they do, damned if they don't. As Sir Bob Geldof has often spoken about the often inhuman and cruel way the fathers are treated by family court judges do you not think it's time that the news media actually gave voice to a lot of innocent men, whose only crime is to be a loving father, and from there on there is not a hope in hell of anyone talking about their plight. So much for a caring and civilised society. Not all mothers are angels and not all men are the devil's spawn. So some one tell me, since when did it become a crime to be a father? You are bullied, threatened, and abused by your partner, and then the justice system does the same to you all over again. Shame on us and shame on a system and society that is a willing participant in the destruction of the very core of our family. Then politicians bend over backwards to throw good money after bad which actually helps this cancer fester rather than help eradicate it. I think it is time the journalists took up issue with this cruel injustice that is practised by legal eagles on a daily basis, without any repercussions. The only losers are the fathers, their children, and their extended family. For God's sake please help these people who no one seems to care about. I am talking about decent men who want to be fathers not macho men of a bygone era, whose sins I am told we are paying for. God help any man who has to face the wisdom of the family court judges who can decide your fate in ten minutes and less. What you could not figure out in years the honourable judge can do that in minutes. Wow. Since I started this voluntary organisation I have had nothing but compliments. I am here to help these guys and others associated with them, by offering friendship, counselling, and group sessions free of charge. Plus I am doing my best to highlight this issue without any help from anyone except a handful of friends. Yours, (Sam) Sohail Butt Fathers for Justice and Equality 6a Joyce House Tuam Road Retail Centre Tuam Road Galway

Sile's a star for Cope
Dear Editor, In August of this year Sile Seoige nominated Galway charity Cope as the benefactors of her participation in You're A Star Charity Special. Sile was one of eight contestants who took part in this fantastic event and Cope was the only west of Ireland-based charity involved. As your readers will remember the show took the country by storm and Sile's performances throughout the two weeks of the show were central to this. COPE is delighted to announce that 41,136.89 was raised for Cope from Sile's involvement in this show. This is the proceeds raised from the text and phone votes made by the public in support of Sile. On behalf of Cope I would like to take this opportunity to express our most sincere thanks to all the people of Galway, the West of Ireland and the country as a whole who voted for Sile. The You're A Star Charity Special has been a watershed for Cope, (formerly Galway Voluntary Social Services), in terms of the awareness levels of the services we provide and the issues affecting our clients. COPE would like to thank everyone who has been so supportive of our work in the past and to our new friends. With your fantastic support we can continue to provide services to people who are homeless, women and children who experience domestic violence, and older vulnerable people in Galway city and county. Finally we would like to express our most sincere thanks and gratitude to Sile Seoige. She has proved a fantastic ambassador for Cope and for the people of Galway. Yours, Jacquie Horan Director COPE

Nally editorial had more light than heat
Dear Editor, Although I can claim a distant blood relationship to the unfortunate Padraic Nally I have not publicly involved myself in the various campaigns associated with him, this largely because they are more than enough better able to beat the drums and press the necessary buttons, etc. I write to you now to express an appreciation for your editorial of November 17 last. Poignant and powerful in content, it was a welcome and refreshing change from the more raucous contributions currently in the public arena. Copies of your editorial have been sent to relatives in the States where I hope they will also appreciate the value of your thoughtful and sensitive article on an issue that needs to be addressed with more light than heat. Thank you. Yours, PJH, Galway.

Do Brothers of Charity sponsor PhDs?
Dear Editor, While watching last weekend's Winning Streak game show, I was more than surprised to hear one of the Galway contestants says that she was studying a 10,000 a year PhD course sponsored by the Brothers of Charity. I did not know that the charity was in such a position to provide such sponsorships and that its much-needed funds were being used in this manner. Yours, RT, Ballybrit, Galway

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
The Galway Advertiser wishes to advise that it is not responsible for the content which appears in the letters pages and accepts no liability arising from publication of material on these pages. 41-42 Eyre Square, Galway. Tel: 091 - 530900. Fax (General) 091 567079 Fax: (Advertising) 091 - 567150 Fax: (Newsdesk) 091 - 565627 / Internet Address: http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie / news@galwayadvertiser.ie