Sir, – The reaction to the revelations of a waste of €6 million on a failed IT project, while shocking, should come as no surprise to us, as it is just another in a litany of such failures in publicly funded projects, the prime example being the national children’s hospital.
From the perspective of the public service departments in which responsibility for these ongoing failures lies, there is at least some consistency in that there appears to be no lessons learned from these failures, or at least no application of systemic corrections to ensure no repeats.
As a taxpayer who believes strongly in the provision of a robust public services, and is prepared to pay my taxes to support them and protect them from privatisation, these failures are deeply disappointing. They reflect a culture within our public sector of abdicating responsibility to private sector consultants ready and eager to feed from the trough of public money, knowing that there will no accountability. It also highlights an apparent significant deficit in basic project management skills within the public sector, particularly around risk management and accountability.
As we have seen in the US and UK, failures leading to the waste of taxpayer money opens the doors to privatisation and the commodification of what should be seen as public services with a social rather than financial dividend. To protect public services, we need Government to face down this acceptance of failure within the public sector with real reform. – Yours, etc,
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BARRY WALSH,
Blackrock,
Cork.
Sir, – When I first heard the narrative about the Arts Council’s IT farrago, I found myself interested and sympathetic toward all involved. The characters were familiar; typically Irish, but the mystery surrounding the deal was entrancing. I fancy I heard Ravel’s Bolero repeating in the background as the players stumbled through their comical, if familiar, roles. However, there was a monotonous lacuna when the entire performance ended prematurely and the audience was given no refund and were left to their own devices to imagine a suitable ending. Thank God we have such minds to tell us what “art” is. – Yours, etc,
EUGENE TANNAM,
Dublin 24.
Sir, – My next funding application to the Arts Council will be a crazy idea for a play about an IT fiasco. Hopefully it will slip through unchallenged. – Yours, etc,
GERARD LEE,
Dublin 12.
Sir, – The revelation of the Arts Council’s failed IT project, wasting over €6.7 million, is both appalling and, unfortunately, unsurprising. That a State body entrusted with such vast sums has been allowed to govern itself – without proper oversight – has led to inevitable mismanagement. In the private sector, such a catastrophic failure would result in immediate accountability. Instead, taxpayers are left footing the bill, while trust in arts funding is further eroded.
As a gallery, we have never applied or received money from the Arts Council but we see the waste of those funds all too often.
The Government must take decisive action to overhaul the Arts Council’s governance, ensuring transparency, responsibility, and the proper stewardship of public funds. – Yours, etc,
MANDY WILLIAMS,
Director,
The Oriel Gallery,
Dublin 2.
Sir, – I am a theatre artist living and working in Cork. Making an Arts Council application is a lot of work, for sure, but I can’t imagine that a more streamlined and effective IT interface would have increased my success rate over the years. If anything it would increase the number of applications and, in turn, the number of failed applicants, which is high as it is. It would have been really good news if they had just distributed the millions that disappeared down the rabbit hole among those of us who constitute the walking wounded in respect of failure at the application process. I find it much easier to make art than to apply for funding for it. I have been involved in the making of about 50 new plays over the years, some of which I wrote myself. Many of these earned and created income for others and, I hope, entertained many. I would do a lot with €10,000. I would do even more with €6 million, but if any of it ever comes back out of the rabbit hole, I’ll settle for the €10,000! – Yours, etc,
JACK HEALY,
Cork.
Acting and disability
Sir, – I was disappointed by Chris O’Dowd’s poor choice of language in his interview and further disappointed by the decision to cast a non-disabled actor in the role of a disabled character in his new television series Small Town, Big Story, written, directed, produced and starring Chris O’Dowd (“Chris O’Dowd: ‘In Hollywood we felt very disconnected, very far away’”, People, February 8th).
The language was condescending and othering; apparently he consulted “the right people”. I assume he’s referring to the disabled community, but to take our lived experience and not employ a disabled actor in the role sounds somewhat exploitative. Excluding disabled professionals is not inclusive; it’s akin to the rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion under the current US administration.
Disabled actors give significantly more nuance than a non-disabled actors, and most of us watching can spot an actor “cripping up” immediately. Sitting in a wheelchair for six hours a day and getting up, walking away from the discrimination and micro-aggressions that we face daily, is fairly insulting.
Hardly surprising this was the approach taken, given Ireland is one of the worst countries in Europe for social inclusion and employment of people with disabilities. Wheelchair access is appalling, accessible housing is non-existent and discrimination in the employment market is rife. We want to participate in life, not to observe quietly from the sidelines.
Living with a disability is political, legislation and attitudinal barriers restrict our social mobility and impact our lives daily. We don’t have leaders elevating our voices, in a nation of storytellers we rarely get the chance to tell our own stories; representation matters, authenticity matters.
Perhaps if O’Dowd and Sky had followed the approach taken by Jon M Chu when casting Marissa Bode as Nessarose in Wicked and collaborated with an actor with a disability, he wouldn’t have expressed himself in such an enthusiastically awkward and patronising manner.
Individuals and organisations in positions of power can choose to make a positive difference with their decisions, and one can decide to be an ally to disabled people, or not. – Yours, etc,
SHANNON MURRAY,
Dublin 2.
Trump and Ukraine
Sir, – Regarding “Trump in talks with leaders of Russia and Ukraine” (News, February 13th), Donald Trump acknowledges he spoke to Vladimir Putin about the future of Ukraine in their lengthy telephone conversation on February 12th. The elected leader of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, was not a party to this conversation. However, Mr Trump seems to have taken upon himself the right to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and security. Statements by Mr Trump, and some of his appointed officials, declared that Ukraine must give up on reclaiming its territory that has been seized by Russia. Ukraine apparently must undercut its security by abandoning the option of joining Nato. There was no mention of an immediate and unconditional withdrawal from Ukraine of Vladimir Putin’s invasion force. How can any such behaviour by Mr Trump cast him otherwise than in the role of a facilitator of Mr Putin’s aggression against the people of Ukraine? – Yours, etc,
DAN DONOVAN,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford.
Sir, – The art of the steal?
Yours etc,
FRANK WALSH,
Coolballow,
Wexford.
A gulf in understanding
Sir, – The renaming of the Gulf of Mexico is unfortunate and inaccurate. The real “Gulf of America” is the wedge Donald Trump is driving between the US administration and its allies and friends. – Yours, etc,
NOEL McDERMOTT,
Beaumont,
Dublin 9.
Health and mixed signals
Sir, – While your editorial (“The Irish Times view on obesity medication: Finding the right balance”, February 13th) informs us that obesity will cost the State at least €1.5 billion per year (with 60 per cent of adults and 20 per cent of children overweight or obese) and appears to advocate for enhanced funding for novel obesity medications, a few pages over we are told that funding for cycling and walking projects in Dublin will be reduced from €55 million to €39 million this year (News, February 12th). One can only conclude that we get what we deserve. – Yours, etc,
Dr DAVID O’CONNELL,
Phibsborough,
Dublin 7.
This won’t hurt a bit
Sir, – On first reading the headline “Hospital trolley spikes not due to infrastructure, says Minister” (February 14th), I thought the new Minister of Health had introduced technology to make patients feel even more uncomfortable while awaiting a bed. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL KEEGAN,
Booterstown,
Co Dublin.
What’s on tap for today?
Sir, – If Emer McLysaght can now command plumbing rates, I trust The Irish Times is paying her accordingly (“I replaced a dripping tap by myself. I’m unstoppable now”, People, February 14th).
Given the emotional and logistical ordeal involved, her column fees must surely now include a call-out charge, a two-week waiting period, and a request for payment in cash. – Yours, etc,
ENDA CULLEN,
Armagh.
Ageing – know the signs
Sir, – When you order a pint at the counter and the barman says: “Sit down. I’ll bring it over to you.” – Yours, etc,
SÉAMUS PHELAN,
Artane,
Dublin 5.
Sir, – Having to sit down to put on your trousers. – Yours, etc,
PN CORISH,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – My brother and I were cycling on the bank of the Grand Canal. We overtook two young women who were enjoying their walk.
When she mistakenly thought we were out of earshot, one said: “Aren’t they great?” – Yours, etc,
PAT O’BRIEN,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – You know you are getting old when you begin to wonder a lot about the hereafter. It happens to me, especially at home. I go into a room, look around and wonder what I’m here after. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN CULLEN,
Clane,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – I was just about to climb the stairs in the cinema when a middle-aged man paused on the stairs, looked back, and said, “You know there is a lift over there.’’ – Yours, etc,
THERESA MURPHY,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.
Sir , – I know I’m getting old when the ticket inspector says “You’re grand, luv” as I search for my free travel pass in my handbag. – Yours, etc,
DESNA CAMPBELL,
Ongar,
Dublin 15.
Sir, – When the good old days get better by the day. – Yours, etc,
AIDAN RODDY,
Cabinteely,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – When you are flying home from the US and are asked at airport security if you are old enough to keep your shoes on.
Apparently it’s 75. As I’m just 68, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. – Yours, etc,
PATRICIA FLETCHER,
Clonskeagh,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – When subtitles are the default setting on your Netflix account. – Yours, etc,
EITHNE BROGAN,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – You know you are getting old when you start groaning like your father did when getting up from the couch. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN CULLEN,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – The great American poet Ogden Nash sums up the situation adroitly in his poem Crossing the Border:
Senescence begins
And middle age ends
The day your descendants
Outnumber your friends. – Yours, etc,
FRANK HENRY,
Galway.
