Perspectives on gender
Sir, – In her recent letter (Letters, May 9th), Sara Morrison asserted “that only one perspective on gender identity is institutionally acceptable”.
I would put it to her that this is for the same reason as there is only one perspective on slavery that is institutionally acceptable; the opposing perspective is abhorrent and fundamentally denies the civil rights, human rights and basic humanity of others.
Further, Morrison states: “RTÉ and others have consistently avoided serious coverage of the implications of gender identity policy”.
I agree. The abuses being done to trans people throughout Ireland due to outdated, degrading and dehumanising policies need to be examined by the media. Media outlets throughout Ireland have already uncovered significant barriers which restrict trans people’s access to life-saving healthcare. But the media should do more. – Yours, etc,
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MORR O’MALLEY,
Trans Healthcare Action,
Co Galway.
Public toilets
Sir, – The recent decision of Dublin City Council to close the only remaining public toilets in Dublin highlights the abysmal failure of both central and local government to provide basic essential sanitary services to citizens and visitors to the city.
Nearly every country in Europe provides toilets – either free to use or with a modest charge – that are clean, safe and secure.
Dublin City Council states that they are actively looking for alternatives sites. It is highly unlikely that anything will result from this.
Dublin city lacks leadership, competence and effective management and is rapidly being dragged backwards. Nineteenth-century Dublin had more and better services for Dubliners than are available today.
What is needed is a directly elected mayor with real powers and a matching budget who will be answerable to the citizens of Dublin.
No chance of that, however, as no government since the foundation of the State was, is or would be prepared to relinquish the necessary legislative powers or finance.
In the meantime we can look forward to a future of public urination. – Yours, etc,
HUGH PIERCE,
Celbridge,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – With the closure of Dublin city centre’s only public toilets, at the top of Grafton Street, the council is exploring “other service provision models”.
Will this include the status quote ante model: behind a bush in Stephen’s Green? – Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN DOHERTY,
Cnoc an Stollaire,
Gaoth Dobhair,
Co Dhún na nGall.
Punishing singletons
Sir, – I could not agree more with Justine McCarthy (“The world welcomes couples but punishes singletons”, Opinion, May 9th). Everything she says is so true. I love travelling but since my beloved husband died seven years ago I can’t afford to go anywhere unless I “organise” a female family member or friend to go with me. It’s totally unfair. – Yours, etc,
ANN FITZSIMONS,
Naas,
Co Kildare.
Integrity of The Irish Times
Sir, – I look forward to my copy of your newspaper being delivered every morning. I also feel the need to cut out your competition tokens as soon as possible to avoid forgetting to do so!
This then makes me forlorn when looking at my newspaper for the rest of the day as it is missing a section from the front page! Can I request that going forward your tokens get moved from page 2 to page 3 to avoid me interfering with the (physical) integrity of your newspaper. – Yours, etc,
KEITH PHELAN,
Ovens,
Co Cork.
In defence of Harry and Meghen
Sir, – I find Finn McRedmond’s evisceration (“Prince Harry is difficult to feel sorry for – yet I do”, Opinion, May 8th) of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan’s character and life choices is quite simply unfair, and I believe misses the point and truth of the matter.
I have long believed the royal couple deserve not our ridicule but rather our admiration and respect. They each took the brave step of extricating their family from a familial environment that was toxic and abusive. Have we forgotten that Harry was assaulted by a family member? Also, it must have been painful indeed for the couple to hear negative speculation regarding the skin colour of their unborn child. It requires great courage to leave behind – as much as is possible – a life that is regimented and planned in suffocating detail.
It is a challenge for any person to take this emancipating step. Many do not succeed. – Yours, etc,
PADDY FITZPATRICK,
Cathedral Ave,
Cork.
Religion in the classroom
Sir, – John Boyle, general secretary of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), asserts (Letters, May 9th) that his union “takes great pride in our long-standing commitment to equality and inclusion in our schools”.
However, such a commitment is fundamentally undermined by the continued adherence to religious discrimination as permitted under Section 37(1) of the Employment Equality Act 1998.
Catholic schools continue to constitute the majority of mainstream primary schools, with 88.3 per cent operating under a Catholic ethos in 2024. Teachers in these schools are required to have completed the Certificate in Catholic Religious Education, a prerequisite that effectively restricts the access to teaching positions for non-Catholic teachers.
There is nothing commendable or consistent with principles of equality in allowing teachers to be subjected to such discrimination. – Yours, etc,
GRÁINNE CONNOR,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 14.
T
Status quo and housing
Sir, - I must take issue with Gerard Howlin (“The status quo is in charge of Irish housing policy”, Opinion, May 9th) when he says that “Ministers recycled functions out to agencies, leaving themselves with responsibility but not power”.
How can that be the case when, last October, the former Office for Public Works minister, Patrick Donovan, declared publicly and with no equivocation whatsoever that he was not responsible in any way for the bicycle shed and security hut fiascos.
In terms of responsibility and commitment, perhaps, we could learn from postwar Britain when Harold Macmillan cut through the “status quo” and built 300,000 houses per year on the basis that the project had to be treated as a “war job’ and tackled “in the spirit of 1940”. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN MCDONALD,
Whitehall Road,
Terenure,
Dublin 12.
The word gimp
Sir, – the word “gimp” is a time-honoured one in women’s monasteries. It is part of the traditional monastic habit, the enlarged white collar covering the neck and framing the face. (The Abbess in The Sound of Music wore a particularly elaborate gimp). I understand it is a French word and should be pronounced “gamp”.
After Vatican II habits were modified, but some monasteries still retain them. My sisters at Kylemore remember them well. – Yours, etc,
Sr GENEVIEVE HARRINGTON OSB,
Kylemore Abbey,
Co Galway.
Divided skirt
Sir, – At my “Academy for Young Ladies” over half a century ago we had to wear what was then called a divided skirt, for both camogie and hockey.
Archaic then, I was astonished to see this ridiculous hybrid garment still prescribed.
Time to ditch it whatever it’s called. – Yours, etc,
FIONNUALA DUNNE,
Burdett Avenue,
Sandycove,
Co Dublin.
The rugby mob
Sir, – Matt Williams (“Ugly sense of entitlement has seeped into Irish fan culture”, Sports, May 10th) rightly condemns the “mob-like” criticism of Leinster head coach Leo Cullen. However, it stretches credibility to suggest that Leinster’s consistency in the Champions Cup is “the envy of every professional rugby organisation on the planet”. Is that really the case?
As Williams himself points out, Leinster have lost three finals and two semi-finals in the past five years. For most observers, this would signal a concerning pattern, not something to be envied. It seems to me that the harsh criticisms of Cullen are more than matched by this kind of extraordinary hyperbole that often characterises rugby commentary in this country.
Rather than indulging in either extreme, we should be asking more honest and difficult questions such as why are Leinster falling short on the biggest occasions, even when heavily favoured? Could there be cultural or structural factors that contribute to these performances?
Instead of insisting that the rest of the rugby world envies us, perhaps we should be more willing to learn from those clubs and nations who continue to lift the trophies that often remain just out of our reach. – Yours, etc,
REAMONN O’LUAN,
Landscape Road,
Churchtown,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – Bravo Matt Williams for calling out the entitlement culture among Ireland’s rugby fans.
While online discourse is not always representative of real life; one bizarre view I saw far too often is that “player X lost us an easy grand slam”.
For next season I’ve resolved to consume less “analysis”, both professional and “fan generated”, and get to more All-Ireland League and junior games. Perhaps I’m overly cynical but I wonder how many of the “diehard fans” who spend fortunes to travel to Biarritz and other glamorous French destinations will show up to cheer on or even play for their local club side? – Yours, etc,
MATTHEW GLOVER,
Griffeen Glen Ave,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.
