Sir, – Cork City Council has opened a new footbridge at a cost of €5 million. This at a time when thousands of Corkonians are seeking a roof over their head and thousands more are renting at exorbitant rents.
What priorities does Cork City Council have? And furthermore, what city councillors voted in favour of spending €5 million on a “glorified gangway” instead of allocating this money to public housing? These same councillors have the brass neck of standing again for election. I’m sure the voters might ask them, when they come to the door, a question or two on this issue.
This bridge is named after Mary Elmes, a noble woman. I am sure a more fitting honour would be to call a new terrace of 20 council houses after this heroine. That is the amount of houses €5 million would build.
Before the French revolution Marie Antoinette inquired why the peasants were angry. The reply was, Madam, they are hungry and want bread. But why don’t they eat cake, she replied. She lost her head as a result in the revolution.
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History has an awful habit of repeating itself. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’DONNELL,
Mahon, Cork.