Sir, – I am expecting a baby in April, and today received a rejection from a creche stating that no places will be available for my child until summer 2026.
Having contacted them in early December, this is a 2½-year waiting period.
In the context of the upcoming referendum, how can it be that “a woman’s place is wherever she wants to be” if she cannot find childcare? – Yours, etc,
DEIRDRE DUNNE,
Dublin 8.
A chara, – The issue that I and others have concerning the care amendment is that it involves the State only striving to support families as the primary unit of care, rather than a constitutional guarantee of support.
I look forward to politicians calling to my door in the coming months, and assuring them that I will strive to vote for them. – Yours, etc.
DR RICHARD SCRIVEN,
Ballinlough,
Cork.
Sir, – Is the nebulous status of “durable relationship” a tad better than “endurable relationship”, though equally subjective? – Yours, etc,
MICHELE SAVAGE,
Dublin 12.
Sir. – So those of us who are still lucky enough to have mothers will run around this week buying cards, gifts and flowers to say thank you on Mother’s Day for all their unconditional love, advice and support.
At the same time we will be voting to delete forever the word “mother” from our Constitution.
While I agree that the current language in the Constitution is archaic, it is a great pity that our legal wordsmiths could not come up with new wording that would still include the word “mother”.
The word “carers” does not quite capture the multiple roles of the modern Irish mammy for me. – Yours, etc,
GER O’ BRIEN,
Dublin Road,
Drogheda.
Sir, – Unlike the young man on the bus a few years ago, I know exactly what a tracker mortgage is. What I don’t know is what it is I am being asked to vote for in the forthcoming referendums.
Neither the information leaflet from the Electoral Commission nor the voluminous analyses contributed by your columnists and correspondents have been able to guide me through the fog of contradictions and irrelevancies.
Put me down as a No. – Yours, etc,
PADDY BARRY,
Killiney,
Co Dublin.