EDITOR –  If An Post is being given greater financial flexibility to support its business and future development, it cannot continue to ignore the plight of former employees whose loyalty, commitment and hard work helped build the company and sustain its profits.

Post Office Pensioners United is demanding the immediate removal of the 2% cap on pension increases and the restoration of fair and adequate pension increases for retired workers.

Since 2013, pensioners have watched their purchasing power steadily erode as the cost of living has risen, while the 2% cap has prevented their pensions from keeping pace with the real financial pressures facing them.

For many, this is not a question of sacrificing a few luxuries. It is a daily struggle to pay household bills, heat their homes, buy food and meet essential living costs.

These pensioners are not asking for charity. They are demanding fairness, justice and respect for the service they gave throughout their working lives.

The anger among retired workers is entirely understandable. Many feel abandoned by a company to which they gave decades of loyal service. They fulfilled their obligations, contributed through their working lives and expected that their retirement would provide a measure of security and dignity. Instead, too many now face an uncertain and increasingly difficult future.

The situation is particularly cruel for pensioners who do not qualify for the State pension. These retirees cannot simply rely on a State pension payment to supplement an inadequate occupational pension. For them, the consequences of the continuing restrictions are especially severe, leaving many struggling to survive on incomes that have failed to keep pace with the rising cost of living.

The Pension Accord, as it operates for affected pensioners, has placed severe and continuing hardship on people who have already completed their years of service.

These pensioners gave their working lives to An Post. They deserve to retire with dignity, not anxiety. The time for delay, excuses and empty assurances is over. An Post pensioners have waited long enough. They deserve action now.

Paul Moreland,

Post Office Pensioners United.

New research highlights the reality of sexual violence

EDITOR – A recently published research report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and Cuan provides important insights into patterns of adult sexual violence in Ireland and the experiences of victim-survivors across the country.

Drawing on data from the Central Statistics Office’s Sexual Violence Survey, the research found that more than one in four adults in Ireland have experienced sexual violence in adulthood. Women, younger adults, and members of LGBTQ+ communities were found to be at particularly high risk.

The findings also challenge some common misconceptions. In many cases, the person responsible was known to the victim-survivor rather than being a stranger. Many people reported first experiencing sexual violence in early adulthood, highlighting the importance of prevention, education, and early intervention.

While the statistics are sobering, research such as this helps build a clearer understanding of the realities faced by victim-survivors and strengthens the case for accessible, specialist support services in communities across Ireland.

Importantly, the report reminds us that sexual violence is not something that happens “somewhere else” or to “someone else”. It affects people in every community, including rural communities like our own. Behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a journey towards healing.

At West Cork Beacon, we see every day the importance of providing compassionate, professional support to those affected by sexual violence and domestic abuse. We also know that no two experiences are the same, and that services must be responsive to the diverse needs of victim-survivors.

The report serves as a reminder that ending sexual violence requires a collective effort. Prevention, education, early intervention, community awareness, and access to specialist support all have a role to play. As a local charity, West Cork Beacon relies on the support of our community to continue providing these vital services. If you would like to support our work, we welcome donations of any size. Your contribution helps ensure that people across West Cork can access specialist support, advocacy, and counselling when they need it most.

Thank you for standing with us and helping to create safer communities across West Cork.

MaryClare Clark, CEO,

West Cork Beacon.

Saint legend most bizarre

EDITOR – A Meath-born saint, patron of Waterford and buried on Iona, Scotland, is the subject of a legend as bizarre as the most ghoulish of Halloween-associated lore.

Sixth century Saint Ódhran - anglecised, Otteran - spent many years in the Silvermines, or Bellagowan, region of County Tipperary, beloved ancestral locality for, and final destination of, the late singer/songwriter, Shane McGowan.

A contemporary of Saint Colmcille, Ódhran became part of the mission to Iona Island from where many Scots were converted to christianity. He is believed to have been the first monk to die there where a church is dedicated to him. In the eleventh century, the Christianised Vikings of Waterford, having enormous respect for Iona, made Ódhran patron of the at city.

Legend has it that Colmcille was attempting to build a church on Iona, the walls of which refused to stay up. Local custom had it that a live person was required to be buried in the foundations to ensure building success.

Ódhran volunteered and was duly entombed. Some time later, he popped his head out of the ground, relating that neither heaven nor hell existed. Colmcille, fearing that this rumour might spread, immediately reburied Ódhran, whose feast day occured on October 27.

Philip Joyce, Clonakilty.