Galway Advertiser 2009/GA_2009_07_23/GA_2307_E1_016.pdf 

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BE A GALWAY VOICE

Time for Arts Festival to go back to basics
Dear Editor, I feel obliged to send an email after an experience I had while awaiting for a friend near the ticket collection desk at The Radisson on Sunday evening before the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. This situation sums up and qualifies what I feel is the general feeling of the city towards the Galway Arts Festival. A young couple with children approached the desk after being turned away from the doors. The desk was busy and to the left of the doors of the main room where the concert was taking place. The gentleman had two tickets in his hand, each costing approx 30 each. None of his children looked to be more then six years old. A man behind the desk proclaimed unceremoniously that if the gentleman had only two tickets then only two could get in. Only children under the age of two were allowed in free, he said. The gentleman seemed very taken aback and embarrassed and asked if he could purchase the tickets for his children and he was told they were sold out. No allowances were offered, no apologies made, no assistance was given to perhaps help him sell the tickets he had, and more to the point, of my disgust, the manner in which the family was treated was nothing but rude and arrogant - 'a tough titties' scenario. The young man and his wife had to walk away, embarrassed, from the crowded desk with their children asking them why they weren't going dancing. All the while a stressed blonde lady was telling another young couple at the desk that if they weren't there to review the show they weren't getting in and it didn't matter if they were on the guest list. I felt genuinely shocked by the man's carelessness for the family. GAF would expect a family of two adults and three children under the age of 7 to pay 120 That's a week's shopping to that family I'm sure. They could possibly had bought Aer Arann tickets and seen the group perform in London for free at a park festival with money left over for ice cream. On recounting the story to a friend he said that the Arts Festival is widely known as the first of the 'corporate summer festival' in Galway, and there's not much appreciation for the manner and reason in which the art is produced - for everyone. I had to agree, other than feeling let down by the bland programme this year it seems that revenue is the mission here. This attitude will not only eventually be the downfall of GAF but while the UK is reporting that audiences and viewers at heritage and cultural events across the country is up, our arts committees seem to on a kamikaze mission and alienating the general public. I personally would rather see the Festival get smaller, have more events at minimal charge to encourage people who may not otherwise be exposed to the arts, and give more variety to the public. David Gray and Candi Staton belong more to Electric Picnic then they do to a community, family orientated 'Arts' festival. I feel both the staff and the GAF board need to reassess the values of what is becoming an increasing commercial venture without thought to accessibility. Let's put the art back into the Galway Arts Festival and the heart back into the Art. Yours, Sarah Edwards Salthill

There are more Leas Cross incidents waiting to happen
Dear Editor, I've read with interest today the final report on the Leas Cross Nursing Home. Once again, as a society we appear to have let down the most vunerable. While the report lays the primary blame for the poor standards of care on the owners, it is also clear that the HSE/Health Board must shoulder its share. The HSE failed as an institution, - the matter fell between many. This must not happen again..................but it will! The primary problem in Leas Cross was that there were insufficent staffing levels for the number and the dependency levels of the residents. So common sense tells us that there should be a nationwide assessment tool for assessing dependency levels of residents in nursing homes and in turn that should tell us the appropiate staffing levels. But there isn't. As of July 1 this year, nursing homes are governed by HIQA regulations which refer to a national assessment tool that doesn't exist. How are patients to be catagorised into low, medium, and high dependency if different tools/scales or use - or in many cases very unique tools are used. And if a nursing home or the HSE can't determine the various dependecny levels of the residnets, how can they possibly stiplulate the appropiate staffing levels. Years after the disgrace of Leas Cross, there is still no format to determine what was the appropiate staffing levels for Leas Cross or indeed what is the appropiate staffing level in any nursing home across the country. Surely, there is a 'Leas Cross' just waiting to happen. Yours, Stevie Dempsey Craughwell

ChamberWatch is a flicker of light, says reader
Dear Editor I would like to welcome the addition of the 'Chamber Watch' to your journal sections.Through plain reporting of what is, rather than what the writer just wants me to know, I see one flicker of light. I want to take some space to emphasise why I feel its flicker is so important. We, as a nation have, been in democratic politics a considerable time. But the political world we live in I would presume is one formed at the foundation of the state. I speak more in culture of how we perceive politics and how we address and question our governance. When we sit at dinner or at social gatherings and ask questions we tend to leave them in mid air, no matter how much debate or we fail to follow up with enquiry or resolve. It is as if discussion is the limit to our participation. This can be argued against I could argue the point easily myself but the problem is the consequences are there and show we dont really ask and continue to ask. We don't follow up and feel a personal responsibility to an issue we feel strongly about. The evidence is very dark and very real. I don't know why but it seems as if we have relieved ourselves of the right to question. We have grown a sinister culture of even seeing those who question as 'wrongdoers' . This is where our reality becomes almost mythically dark and deeply sinister. When for legitimate reasons people ask questions or call for resolutions to serious problems and the response is not of equal ethical and professional, but instead intimidation, insult and punishment. It is when those listening then side with those who answer in intimidation or worse or claim to be a target in order to extract sympathy in order to defer or deter further questioning. It is on seeing or hearing such situations or reading of and we as a society go away remembering not to cause trouble or choose not be seen as 'on side' with those who ask questions. In this murky world untold and told realities emerge. Seems so day to day so simple but it is the cement on the road to the dark corridors of our country and its governance. Think of the emerging stories of the most despicable regime outside of Nazism that emerged through out church scandals. Did we as catholics run to ask what is going on or did we not want to be seen to believe, such terrible rumours. Not want to 'judge' or cast aspersions. Nor to be seen to question the integrity of a bishop etc. We let go of our self belief when we failed to ask. We could have blindly trusted that the rumours were false and clarified with asking. But we didn't. Some years ago national newspapers were continually promoting a particular party and deliberately dismissing another party. When day to day issues were dealt with, one regardless of fault or glory was portrayed in one light and the other as clowns in fact they could have won the Nobel Prize award for sciences it would have made no difference. It all had nothing to do with issues. A leading journalist and television presenter new to the Irish scene on a current affairs programme had several Irish leading newspaper editors of the day in front of him and tried to confront them on this issue. He could not, they suddenly had no opinion and sat with no answer. It was bizarre to watch the question and certainly not journalism at the root of its answer. I have even heard people carry this sinister message as a reality but what is most stark again is they do it, without question! What they don't realise is that they are victims not of bad journalism but something consequently far more sinister. The road for such murkiness needs 'us' to follow obediently and we are in turn code named ' idiots' in their language for which I don't have the translation. Another example; the person who extinguished the life of a beautiful girl and 'we' momentarily woke up as the sleeping race. I speak of Manuela Riedo. Through our unquestioning sleep a man, a criminal, was duly processed by law and court. Who would need to ask questions. Until he committed another crime and came to our attention again. Only as far as comfortable society would expect having previously been caught and sent away for a serious crime he ought to have been in prison. To this day we don't know how or why he was not. Who was the person who decided on this batch of dark cement for this particular road of deception. If those responsible for such crimes by the system are in a dire and dangerous position why do they never resign in protest publicly. The article was well presented and professional. I have a question if all charity begins at home so to should humanity and honour as a people. My question is this. What sort of governance do we want at local level. I think from one question we can take a step towards that destiny that is due our ancestors and all recent victims of so much and so many hidden crimes lies on a path that is made of 'us'. Now it is finally out that we have no power at local government. I am not even going to ask the obvious question of Who appoints the City and County Managers given the problems over the last twenty years I don't think its worth asking right now. When speaking to a prominent social minded TD about why is it allowed that councillors are elected and the Manager only has the power. The questions on this issue to me are endless. The answer to him was simple. A council with power could argue and could not make decisions or a person appointed could just carry on. It is apparent that what seemed a course then to some. Can no longer be tolerated. We must wake up. We can work collectively without conflict, we are merely on a learning curve but we have to restore self belief and that means asking questions and not being intimidated by those who feign insult to thwart questioners. With integrity we can clarify with anyone. I would like to see a council system that is not the best of or like another part of the world. But is ours and reflects us. It would know if a criminal was on the loose and could bring those who released him or her to justice. Everyone should be able to become involved in the running of its city or county and should have such experience or at least some relevant qualification before seeking election. That should be a future standard. I am asking all present councillors to stop look towards bring historic change. Not change connected to some media hype of another land or even this nation but this city, this county and further this province. To work together and everyone that lives here where ever they hail will know they are of connaught and that should be different. History demands nothing less. Develop a new way for us. One that can be democratic and work within all the needs of budgets but will have operating at the highest standard at is core. It can never do that as it is nor with a declaration on the wall. For all the mess economic, social, criminal lets change it. Let's change it here. Personally I don't see any problem is such ambition. The Volvo Ocean Race proves that this city and county can work as a unit. It prompts the reality that we don't need, a person who will tell us but just goes and does on our behalf anyway. Let's work together as a place a race shared with new blood as well as old. Live not for the good of those who have code named us 'idiots'. Yours sincerely Elizabeth Arran Loughrea

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Galway Advertiser
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BE A GALWAY VOICE

letters@galwayadvertiser.ie
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. The Galway Advertiser, 41-42 Eyre Square, Galway. Tel: 091 - 530900. Fax (General) 091 567079 Fax: (Advertising) 091 - 567150 Fax: (Newsdesk) 091 - 565627 Internet Address: http://www.advertiser.ie / news@galwayadvertiser.ie

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HAVE YOUR SAY

16 L E T T E R S

July 23 2009