EDITOR - I would like to draw your attention to an issue that is on the lips of every parent at every school gate - the volume of houses that have been granted planning permission recently in Bandon, particularly in and around the Dunmanway Road/Convent Hill area.

The town is growing faster than the infrastructure can support it. The additional traffic generated by the proposed developments raise concerns regarding road safety, pedestrian safety, vehicle speeds, parking pressure, and the capacity of the existing estate road network to safely accommodate further traffic. Particular concern exists in relation to children, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users who regularly use these roads.

The promised ‘Northern Relief Road’ or Northern Corridor for Bandon has not been delivered. Without such infrastructure, the proposed development will have a detrimental impact to the town.

We were unable to locate any information in the application about the provision of water for the new residential development, and the impacts of lack of water availability on surrounding residential areas. Current water pressure is unacceptable in Maple View due to the height of the development and the typography of the site.

Dunmanway Road has just recently been resurfaced again - will we have to see this dug up again in the near future to address further water concerns in a town that cannot sustain the current residential properties?

We understand that the land has been zoned however it is the sheer volume of residential homes going into the area that is uncalled for. The proposed developments are excessively dense and of a building height that is disproportionate to the character of the surrounding built environment.

There are currently no green spaces for recreational use in the estate. One small tarmac play area has been provided per street. The provision of open recreational spaces in the estate is already inadequate, especially given the development continued to expand, beyond the original proposed development, to accommodate more houses. And the new proposal does not specify if any of the new ‘recreational space’ will actually be usable.

It feels like this has not been thought through and no consideration given to the current residents or forethought on the impact of the surrounding areas.

Concerned Bandon resident

(Name and address with editor)

Building concerns in Bandon.

Unnecessary cruelty of horrific glue traps

EDITOR – A business in County Galway was recently convicted and fined for selling glue traps which were described in court as ‘unnecessarily cruel’.

Consisting of a carboard base covered in the stickiest of glue, they condemn captured mice and rats to a prolonged and horrific death. The rodents frantically struggle to escape, often breaking bones or chewing off limbs in futile efforts to find freedom. Some suffocate when their faces get stuck in the glue, while others eventually succumb to starvation and dehydration.

Vets who have denounced these traps confirm that ‘there is much suffering by the entrapped animals - it is not a sudden or merciful death...because all mammals have similar nervous systems, they are capable of experiencing the same type of pain and suffering’.

Sadly, despite being illegal for years under the Wildlife Act, glue traps continue to surface in shops across Ireland. Anyone who sees them for sale or being used is encouraged to report it to the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Philip Kiernan,

Irish Council Against Blood Sports,

Mullingar, Co Westmeath.

Conference provides forum on cystinosis

EDITOR – Cystinosis is a rare hereditary condition that affects every cell and muscle in the body, in particular the kidneys and eyes.

Before diagnosis, it can lead to a failure to thrive and children may even be diagnosed with rickets. Reduced kidney function also causes the body to lose important salts and a lot of water.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for cystinosis. However, there are treatments available that slow its progression.

This July, Cystinosis Ireland will host a major international conference that will bring together people living with the condition and experts in clinical care and research.

The gathering will provide a forum for the cystinosis community to share lived experiences, the challenges that people face, and the progress being made in developing new treatments. Among the topics being featured at the conference will be research updates from around the world, including the latest gene therapy developments, more patient-friendly therapies, and the use of AI in research.

There will also be breakout sessions for different age groups and members of the family, such as parents and partners, as well as on aspects of living with cystinosis, such as eye health, fertility and following a ketogenic diet.

The conference, Cystinosis Solidarity, is being presented in partnership with Cystinosis Network Europe, and will take place in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, from July 2-4. To register for the conference, or to find out more about cystinosis, visit www.cystinosis.ie

Denise Dunne,

Head of Operations Cystinosis Ireland.

Israel should be banned from sporting bodies

EDITOR – The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) expresses its disgust and disappointment that the FAI will proceed with the fixtures against the State of Israel in a third country.

The strength of feeling among people in Ireland, not least amongst Irish footballers and fans, has led the FAI to make the reprehensible decision to offshore this exercise in sportswashing Israel’s genocide and apartheid.

Moving the Irish leg of these games to another country doesn’t address the fundamental issue at stake, that is that Ireland should not play any game with Israel as long as that state continues to brutally oppress Palestinians.

The grassroots movement against these games will not go away - these games cannot take place anywhere if Ireland is serious about its opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

It is also shameful that FIFA and UEFA continue to allow this genocidal apartheid state to be a member of their federations, when it has banned Russia and Belarus.

There is no consistency in application of standards by these entities, and they can only be considered active participants in the disgusting sports washing of genocide, ethnic cleansing, occupation and settler-colonialism. Israel must be expelled from all international sporting bodies as Apartheid South Africa was before it.

Zoe Lawlor,

IPSC chairperson.