Galway Advertiser 2008/GA_2008_04_10/GA_1004_E1_016.pdf 

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GALWAY VOICE
Some of the national media coverage directed at the Board and its CEO has been cheap and scurrilous. Unsurprisingly the local media has been more circumspect, and has engaged in the unusual practice of reflecting and researching their topic before committing to print. The puerile dribbling all over their keyboards engaged in by Eircom league `experts' Pat Dolan in the Irish Daily Star and Eamonn Sweeney in the Sunday Independent shows how ill-informed they are. They might have a smidgin more credibility if either of them could name two of the Galway United squad. In Galway we have not benefited from the largesse of Roman Abramovich, Denis O'Brien, or the Irish owners of Sunderland Football Club. Instead we have local business people supporting a local product and providing jobs in a local setting -- for no profit and a lot of headaches. Quite a few people have put their hands in their pockets to keep senior soccer in Galway, and the city and county is in their debt. They entrust the day to day running of the club to an amiable and capable CEO. The club deserves support from within its catchment area, because local soccer can unite and bring joy in the same way any other sporting success can. The volleys of abuse hurled in the direction of the Club, its CEO and its board of directors in the last week were as undeserved as they were unsurprising. The Club, its CEO and its core group of dedicated volunteers can

April 10 2008

National media coverage of Cousins sacking was ill-informed
Dear Editor, There has been almost universal condemnation of the Board of Galway United Football Club for making a good man walk the plank in their recent dismissal of Tony Cousins from the position of manager. Anyone with the remotest acquaintance with running a football club in either a voluntary capacity or as a so-called business will recognise most of the comment as ill informed, devoid of genuine analysis, and downright offensive. hold their heads high. The current adversity is undeniable. But it will pass. There will be better days ahead. Well done to those who are stretching to keep senior soccer in Galway. The know-alls in the national media are very rarely seen paying at any turnstile; their self indulgent nonsense is best ignored. Yours, Gerard Burke, Season ticket holder Galway United Football Club

Three councillors met Taylor's Hill/Maunsells Road residents
Dear Editor, With reference to an article in Galway Advertiser March 27 regarding Taylor's Hill/Maunsells Road traffic problems, I wish to state that the representative delegation of residents was also accompanied by both Cllr Padraic Conneely and myself in City Hall and not solely by Cllr John Connolly, as stated in article. Hope this will clarify matters for all non-attending residents of the area represented on the day. Yours, Cllr Billy Cameron. 12 Lower Newcastle.

Turf wars and bog bans could see Lisbon Treaty cut to ribbons
Dear Editor, The banning of Irish turf cutters from their own bogs next year, should serve as a serious wake up call in the run up to the referendum on the new European Treaty. Historically, the EU has been big on promises and our politicians continue to make grandiose claims as to the benefits of EU membership. Promises of the free movement of goods and services, cheaper cars, better prices for our agricultural produce, and a viable livelihood for farmers have not materialised. Instead, the EU has taken control of a portion of our bogs. This is just the start of it. Eventually it will take control over all of Ireland's natural resources. What is to prevent the EU taking our small farms and homes as well? The European Court of Justice perhaps, but who among us could afford the colossal cost of a European Court of Justice challenge ? The EU has overseen the plunder and destruction of Ireland's greatest natural resource, our coastal fishery waters, taking approximately 200 billion worth of fish out of Irish Waters since our accession into the "Common Market". The much vaunted Fund Transfers into Ireland from Europe in the same period amounts to little more than 40 billion. At the same time, it has suited EU Bureaucrats and Ireland's own selfserving politicians to portray Ireland as having been the net beneficiary of EU largesse, in other words, a charity case. Such a portrayal is patently inaccurate, and does a great disservice to our country. The EU has closed down the Irish sugar beet industry, with the bulk of the compensation being directed towards big business. The EU has forced (and is forcing) the sale of our state and semi state companies. Like the Turf cutting directive, the results of this policy have been particularily hard felt in the West. For instance, the Shannon region is paying a heavy price for the sale of Aer Lingus. Thousands of families in the west of Ireland cannot get a broadband connection. The sale of Eircom has left the Irish Government and people without a vehicle through which the country-wide deployment of broadband could have been delivered. Again this has had a particularly negative impact in the West due to our peripherallity and general lack of infrastructure. The EU has prevented us from retaining control of our west coast gas and oil reserves. When oil was found off the west coast of Norway, the Norwegians set up a state company (Statoil) to bring the oil ashore for the benefit of the Norwegian people. Norway could do this because Norway is unfettered by EU policy and directives. When gas was found off the west coast of Ireland, it had to be handed over to private enterprise. The disdain in which we in the west are held by big business, our Government, our courts and the EU was all to clearly demonstrated in the case of the Rossport Five. When our gas is eventually brought ashore, we will have to pay world market prices for it, in direct free market competition with our British and European neighbours. But this "privilege" will only be available in the few towns and cities where they deign to grant us a connection to "their" pipeline. No benefit will accrue to the Irish people or State. As with our coastal fishery waters, the European Union will be the major beneficiary. The EU is in the process of taking control of the ESB, and by extension our energy supply. In the very near future the ESB will be broken up into smaller companies and privatised as a direct result of EU policy. Some might welcome this event, but as with other privatisations, this too could prove to be a short sighted move with negative consequences. By and large the ESB has served Ireland well, and its expertise is recognised internationally. How responsive will a private company be to a request for an electric fence connection on a remote hillside in the west of Ireland ? What would a private company charge for such a connection ? Former US president Woodrow Wilson once said ...... "The history of liberty is a history of the limitations of governmental power, not the increase of it." The domestic turf cutting issue has cast a spotlight on the inexorable trend towards an increase in the centeralised power of the European Union and the simultaneous centralisation of control over our natural resources. The European political elite's refusal to accept the results of three democratic referenda, and attempts to pressurise Poland's leaders into not holding a referendum, demonstrates a staggering lack of respect for the democratic process and the will of the European Peoples they claim to serve. European Union Law is to effectively be given primacy over or immunity from the "limitations of governmental power" inherent in our own (Irish) Constitution. The Lisbon Treaty is of no benefit to the ordinary people of either Ireland or Europe. Therefore both the Lisbon Treaty and the proposed amendment to the Irish Constitution should be rejected. Yours Tom Ward, Claregalway.

Local arthritis sufferers fear new pharmacy regime
Dear Editor, It is with dismay that we are hearing about the dispute between the pharmacies and the HSE. As users of local pharmacies we are hugely concerned that our health and well being will be affected by this dispute. Local pharmacies are of huge importance to us in the management of our conditions. These are local and community businesses and they have the backing of the communities they belong to. To ask patients to change their pharmacies and turn their backs on businesses which have served them well in trust and confidence is a step too far. Who will know and understand the 100 types of arthritis that we suffer like our local pharmacy? Who will care? Will Boots and their ilk step into small parishes and dispense medication to local parishioners? There is a huge amount of confusion in our localities in Galway. When will this matter be resolved? Why isn't there a proper plan to dispense medication to the public in the event that almost all pharmacies in Galway refuse to do this? How could one Boots and three or four hospitals with pharmacies the size of broom cupboards cope with for instance, the 38,000 persons with arthritis alone in Galway. Not to mention any of the other myriad illnesses and diseases prevalent in Galway. We understand the HSE's assertion that they are trying to save the taxpayers' money by reducing medical bills but we do not understand why this wasn't done at the beginning of contractual talks and not subsequently. As a group here in Galway we would like some answers. We would like to know what you will do to solve this matter and also what the emergency plan will be in the event of all the persons in Galway with illnesses and conditions demanding medications on May 1. Yours Arthritis Ireland Galway Branch

UN vets says thanks for the Big Apple parade help
Dear Editor, On behalf of the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (post 30 Galway branch) I would like to express our thanks to all who helped us live the wish of marching down 5th Avenue, New York on St Patrick's Day to an audience of an estimated three million on-street spectators. To the Mayor of Galway for the beautiful gifts we presented on his behalf and which were received with gratitude by our Irish/American friends and parade organisers/liaisons. To the president of St Anthony's and Claddagh Credit Union for his kind donation in assisting us in promoting our association, our city, and our country. I could go on and on thanking everyone for helping us on our way but you know who you are and we thank you very much. Our association will now be remembered and acknowledged as one of the finest groups of people ever to march down 5th Avenue on St Patrick's Day, ( the words of our military liaison). This trip started out as a once-off opportunity to promote our association which is designed to encourage and assist research into problems and treatment of members who have been affected by their UN service, to establish, maintain, and encourage contact with similar associations in other countries, and to promote public understanding of the role of the Irish in UN operations. We feel that this trip has made more people aware of our association and aims so our journey was very successful. Yours in peace Liam Joyce. PRO Post 30 IUNVA

GALWAY VOICE - HAVE YOUR SAY

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