Sir, – As always, The Irish Timesprovided excellent coverage of the recently released State papers. What struck me reading those grim reports from 1981 was just how insular and conservative Irish society was; clearly socially progressive developments in neighbouring European countries had failed to make an impression in Ireland.
The papers reveal that a government minister encouraged a “family values” group to take advantage of strict censorship laws to prevent young Irish minds being corrupted by such “evils” as family planning and sex education, while a proposed law to address marital rape was shelved because, incredibly, it was thought to be anti-family (State Papers 1981, December 31st).
Meanwhile, reform of our archaic laws relating to divorce and homosexuality would not occur until well into the next decade.
The extraordinarily closed and parochial nature of Irish society until relatively recently certainly puts in perspective the tiresome and disingenuous claims we regularly hear from conservative groups and commentators about their voices being silenced in the media and elsewhere. Indeed, we have not come nearly far enough in the intervening 30 years. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – May I suggest that the intelligence services’ assessment of “Ireland’s strategic importance”, carried out in 1981 is as relevant now as it was then (State Papers 1981, December 31st).
As we review all aspects of our relationship with Europe and the UK we should seriously consider joining Nato.
This period of unprecedented peace in Europe is an ideal time to join as there is no danger of our being drawn into a “war risk” but by joining we would ensure, at no cost, an unbroken, integrated line of defence and monitoring stations on the west coast of Europe similar to that which exists on the rest of the continent – a realistic precaution against changed circumstances in the future. – Yours, etc,