EDITOR - West Cork is the maritime region. It lives and breathes the coast and its high quality environment. Many jobs, directly or indirectly, depend on our marine environment.
Meanwhile news has emerged from this government that they are dumping long proposed legislation for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). This after years of effort and parliamentary process. Last summer the government said the MPA Bill was all set to go but then delayed it.
The Bill is still there, but this new government has announced its sending it into a new process of delay, obscurification and years more consultation, blah, blah. It’s an old trick that risks killing both the intent and the spirit of the MPA legislation.
Ireland is real laggard when it comes to protecting our marine environment, an absurd position for an Island nation in the 21st century. I hope Star readers will get onto the phone to and email our TDs to put pressure on them to stick to the MPA Bill and pass it asap this autumn.
Mark Robins,
Schull.
Have we become oblivious to genocide?
EDITOR – Ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, public concern appears to be declining. Clearly, the violence and bloodshed of war is not impacting the global population as much as before. In fact, in our own personal lives many of us are now deliberately shutting out watching or listening to content that shows or highlights horrendous genocide and bloodshed. This suggests that we have, to some extent at least, become oblivious to violence in other parts of the world, including Gaza and Ukraine.
Those of us who live in a free world without the threat of genocide and bloodshed, should at least appreciate just how privileged we are, and should ideally do anything we can to highlight the plight of our deprived brethren in other parts of the world, where violence is widespread. Irish people in particular have a long history of resisting suppression and highlighting injustice, which may be a legacy from centuries of campaigning for our independence.
In addition, over 41 years ago, in (July 1984) one of the most iconic strikes in history took place in Dunnes Stores in Henry Street in Dublin, when ten young Dunnes Stores workers, refused to handle goods from apartheid South Africa because of how the all-white government there treated black people.
This courageous and selfless act led to a strike lasting two years and nine months. In hail, rain and snow, the workers maintained their pickets without pay for millions of oppressed people they had never met. The strikers were abused by picket breakers, and victimised without pay by their employer. Yet they held their ground and eventually forced the Irish government to ban the import of all South African produce.
For their actions, these workers were lauded by Nelson Mandela, who said that the strikers demonstrated to South Africans that ‘ordinary people far away from the crucible of apartheid cared for our freedom’ and also helped him keep going when he was in prison. This proves just how effective people power was in 1984, which helped to bring apartheid to an end by 1990.
Sadly, over forty years on, the geopolitical situtation has drastically changed for the worst, with the Kneecap rap group being criticised in Britain for stating that Isreal were war criminals. Also, the approach of the EU Commission is highly disturbing. This especially includes the role of the Commission President, Ms von der Leyen, who has failed to directly condemn Israel for war crimes in Gaza, involving the slaughter of innocent civilians including women and children and babies dying of malnutrition.
This gross carnage justifies widespread public protests, not only in Ireland but throughout Europe and the western world, which might help to isolate Israel and hopefully force them to stop the killing of innocent people.
Diarmuid Cohalan,
Ballinhassig.
Hedgecutting limits
are out of our hands
EDITOR – I appreciate the concerns raised by Cllr Harrington and other members of Cork County Council regarding the hedgecutting season and its impact on road safety and farming practices. I want to assure everyone that the safety of our communities is of utmost importance to me and my department.
However, it’s important to clarify that the current hedgecutting restrictions are not arbitrary, nor are they within my sole discretion to change.
These dates are set in line with the EU Birds Directive, which Ireland is legally obliged to follow. The directive is designed to protect vulnerable wildlife, particularly during the critical breeding and nesting season, and any changes would require action at a European level.
That said, the regulations do allow for hedgecutting in cases where there is a genuine road safety risk. If overgrowth is creating a hazard, there are clear procedures in place for landowners and local authorities to address these issues without breaching the law or risking fines.
Christopher O’Sullivan, TD,
Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity.
A poem, to be gentle to each other at all times
EDITOR –
Death, Life, Destiny
Genesis of conservatory.
Into the light of dawn
Extremities of life.
And death, two sides
of the mind, both as one,
Let the distance be one
Of the other.
And glad to be itself.
Let the child be a child
Let the boy be the boy
Let the teenager be the teenager.
Be gentle to each other.
To the beginning and the end.
Peace to each other.
Love of life.
John O’Brien,
Bandon Library Writing Group.
