Sir, – It could be said that the selection of Jim Gavin as a presidential candidate followed by the rapid withdrawal of support was a basic error of judgment by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
This has resulted in repercussions primarily for Fianna Fáil, both political and financial, but does not in any real way affect the lives of the vast majority of Irish citizens.
However, what is of great concern for many citizens is that we are a living in a country which has enjoyed an economic boom for a number of years yet people are experiencing a decline in living standards with some families under severe financial stress.
The people who have been in power in the “good times”, including the likes of Micheál Martin, have spectacularly failed to tackle major issues such as housing, healthcare and infrastructure.
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The Jim Gavin shambles and the lack of judgment on display raises a serious question as to whether our political leaders are up to the job. – Yours, etc,
ROB Mac GIOLLARNÁTH,
Abhainn an Scáil,
Contae Chiarraí.
Sir, – One hundred years ago a senior politician resigned over a report which demonstrated an appalling lack of judgment regarding his involvement in the Boundary Commission. Today a senior politician refuses to resign following a report that shows an equally appalling lack of judgment regarding his involvement in the selection of a presidential candidate. Serious mistakes should have serious outcomes for those involved. – Yours, etc,
FRANK BOUCHIER-HAYES,
Newcastle West,
Co Limerick.
Sir, – Reflecting on the internal Fianna Fáil “stewards enquiry” on the running of Jim Gavin in the recent presidential election, Micheál Martin would have us believe that he accepts full responsibility for the debacle. However, one can only assume from his recent follow-up interviews that whilst he accepts ultimate responsibility, he does not accept that his “responsibility” merits any sanction. To use a golfing metaphor – he is calling a “Mulligan “on this one – and plays on with impunity. – Yours, etc,
ANDREW RICHARDSON,
Athy,
Co Kildare.
Bondi Beach attacks
Sir, – I was quite frankly appalled reading the letter of David Woods in today’s publication (Letters, December 17th).
To suggest those who criticise the Israeli state are partially to blame for the Bondi Beach attack is an outrageous leap. And to further suggest that criticism of Israel, along with moves to influence its behaviour, should cease is plain wrong.
David believes Israel is singled out for judgment by special standards. We must not forget that Israel frames itself as the only democracy in the Middle East, as a developed country, as part of the Western world.
The Guardian newspaper reported in August 2025 that 83 per cent of fatalities in Israel’s assault on Gaza were civilians, per the Israeli military’s own data. No other democratic, developed nation on earth is killing civilians at such a scale.
It is for this reason, along with many other well-documented cases, that people have rightly criticised Israel’s actions over the past two years.
Criticising Israel and respecting Jewish people are not, and should not be considered, mutually exclusive ideas. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN FOLAN,
Brinlack,
Donegal.
Sir, – I take grave issue with David Woods’s letter (December 17th) about the appalling Bondi Beach massacre of innocent Jewish people celebrating Hanukka and his attempt to equate global opprobrium and protest against the genocidal actions of the current Netanyahu administration with responsibility for what has happened in Bondi.
There is no connection between peaceful legitimate protest against Israeli actions in Gaza and the hugely unwelcome violent actions of Islamist extremists who cause such terrible tragedy and only further damage the cause of justice for the people of Gaza and the West Bank.
There are commentators both here and abroad who would wish to close down voices that seek to continue to keep the focus of the world on what is happening in Gaza, by too readily using accusations of anti-Semitism to silence or inhibit criticism of the current Israeli regime.
Being appalled by the continuing suffering of Palestinians in Gaza is not anti-Semitism. It is the same as being appalled by Islamist fundamentalist attacks on innocent Jews wherever that may happen.
During the last nine weeks of the so called ceasefire in Gaza close to 400 Palestinians including 80 children have been killed by the Israel Defence Forces and yet the western press have not given enough attention to these ongoing atrocities and the ongoing strategic violent appropriation of Palestinian lands in the West Bank. Why?
Do Palestinian lives count for so little? – Yours, etc,
CYNTHIA CARROLL,
Newport,
Co Tipperary.
Fox hunting Bill
Sir, –The two Government parties and Sinn Féin, as expected, voted down People Before Profit Ruth Coppinger’s anti- foxhunting Bill.
Sadly, foxes will have to continue being cute and evasive as those who govern us clearly do not have the animals’ best interests at heart.
The term whip as used in a political context derives from hunting parlance. The whippers-in are the fellows who seek to control the hounds and keep them from straying.
But what a pathetic spectacle in the Dáil on Wednesday night…to see grown men and women being whipped into line like errant hounds and voting to allow foxes to be chased across the length and breadth of the country.
The Bill’s political opponents spoke of the need to prevent foxes from preying on hens, ducks, and sheep…but using a pack of dogs and dozens of riders, and maybe 100 or more hunt followers to pursue one fox is a ludicrously inept way to “keep down the fox population.”
It’s a bit like sending 20 gardaí with riot shields and batons, several squad cars, and a Garda helicopter, after a man suspected of illegal parking.
Apart from that, those who need an excuse to chase the fox for fun grossly overplay its role in predation. Farm livestock nowadays is so well protected that it would take an exceptionally cute fox to make off with a hen, duck or sheep.
Sinn Féin’s stance on the issue was both disappointing and incongruous. The party used to be opposed to foxhunting. As far back as 1919, it organised countrywide protests against the practice… admittedly as part of a demonstration against Ireland’s colonial masters.
The rejection of the anti-foxhunting Bill will have devastated people nationwide who care deeply about animal welfare and our wildlife heritage.
But I’d encourage them not to lose heart. The campaign against otter hunting kicked off in 1966. It was banned 24 years later by the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrat coalition (Charlie Haughey was taoiseach at the time). Success in any campaign doesn’t come overnight.
Ruth Coppinger’s Bill was the first Dáil challenge to the legality of foxhunting. It took 11 similar Bills over many decades before Britain banned the same blood sport in 2004.
When foxhunting finally passes into the history books, Ms Coppinger’s valiant attempt to afford a measure of protection to this iconic creature will be recorded as a milestone along the path to a more humane and animal-friendly nation. – Yours, etc,
JOHN FITZGERALD,
Callan,
Co Kilkenny.
Sir, – It seems incredible that 124 TDs voted against the Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2025 which aimed to prohibit the use of dogs for hunting foxes. Just 24 TDs voted in favour. Earlier this month, an Ireland Thinks opinion poll of 1,000 individuals reported 72 per cent in favour of banning fox hunting.
That such a harrowing practice could be deemed in any sense a sporting pursuit is repugnant and clearly unacceptable to the majority.
The sheer weight of political protection for this revolting spectacle is shameful. – Yours, etc,
CHRISTINE LINEHAN,
Associate Professor and
Deputy Head of School,
UCD School of Psychology.
RTÉ and long term plans
Sir, – RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst sidesteps the key issues in his defence of RTÉ’s strategy (Opinion, December 17th).
He claims critics are questioning the quality of private production companies. They are not. They are questioning the transfer of public funds from RTÉ to private companies and the implications of that.
He also dismisses concerns about closing RTÉ’s documentary unit. Are we meant to believe that a series such as States of Fear, one of the most consequential documentaries in modern Irish history, would have emerged without a public broadcaster capable of producing it in-house?
Finally, he cites the Future of Media Commission as justification for current strategy, but its 284-page report does not discuss turning RTÉ into an organisation that primarily commissions content.
Yet, at an Oireachtas committee last week, Bakhurst said RTÉ production will be limited to news, radio, and sport.
If RTÉ is serious about rebuilding trust, there must be honest, evidence-based debate about its future. – Yours, etc,
DR EILEEN CULLOTY,
Institute for Media,
Democracy and Society,
Dublin City University,
Dublin 9.
Sir, – I write in response to recent commentary and the article outlining RTÉ’s transformation plans, which raise important questions about the broadcaster’s commitment to maintaining its charter as a public service broadcaster.
While RTÉ assures us of its intent to remain a “broadcasting powerhouse” with a strong in-house production capacity and editorial control, the evidence supporting the preservation of its public service remit requires closer scrutiny.
The planned reduction of up to 400 staff over five years, alongside an increased reliance on independent producers, inevitably changes the fabric of RTÉ’s operations.
Although commissioning from the independent sector is mandated and valuable, it is crucial to ensure this does not dilute RTÉ’s direct responsibility for content creation and editorial integrity.
The claim that RTÉ’s editorial teams will maintain full control over commissioned content is reassuring, yet transparency about how this control will be exercised and monitored is essential to maintain public trust.
Furthermore, the impact of these changes on the quality, scale, and distinctiveness of public service programming must be carefully evaluated over time.
The financial guarantees and strategic investments cited are positive steps, but they do not alone guarantee that RTÉ will fully uphold its public service obligations amid these structural shifts.
Public service broadcasting is not merely about surviving financially or adapting to digital trends; it is about safeguarding a broadcaster’s unique role in reflecting and serving the public interest, culture, and democracy.
I urge RTÉ and policymakers to provide clear, ongoing evidence that the broadcaster’s transformation will strengthen, not weaken, its public service charter.
Only with such transparency and accountability can the Irish public be confident that RTÉ remains a true public service broadcaster for generations to come. – Yours, etc,
BARRY DICEY,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin.
Ghost buses mystery solved
Sir – Patrick Rogers of Finglas (Letters, December 16th) wonders where the F1 bus is, given it keeps disappearing from the transport app.
As a user of the F1 on the south side of the city perhaps I have an answer – it’s stuck in congestion.
For residents of Knocklyon and Firhouse, the introduction of the F1 has brought with it an increase in journey times of 60 per cent on a good day and 100 per cent+ on a bad day over the erstwhile 49.
Bus Connects, in their wisdom, have routed the F1 through residential areas and roads with no access to bus lanes, resulting in journey times being significantly longer than before.
A journey of 10km is now often over an hour, meaning the new route is far slower than average travel speeds across Dublin, with travel times reminiscent of what we had to endure in the early 2000s.
The F1 has wiped out 25 years of public transport improvements for residents of Knocklyon and Firhouse. – Yours, etc,
DEIRDRE COOPER,
Knocklyon,
Dublin 16.
Not so Simplex
Sir, – Simplex No: 18,933:
Down 6 : They act on behalf of others (15)
Is this a record for the Simplex crossword? – Yours, etc,
THERESA MURPHY,
Co Dublin.
Elizabeth’s joke
Sir, – “I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley,” (Letters, December 18th) is one of Elizabeth Bennet’s jokes, and is recognised as such by her sister Jane, who begs her to be serious.
Incidentally, the heroine is called Lizzy by her family and is known as Miss Elizabeth Bennet by almost everyone else. The exception is the jealous Miss Bingley, who persists in calling her “Miss Eliza” – an abbreviation more suited to domestics.
But – luckily for us romantics – this has no effect whatsoever on Mr Darcy, who remains smitten with his “dearest, loveliest Elizabeth”. – Yours, etc,
ESTHER CLARK,
Dublin.
A way to bring reading to book
Sir, – Finn McRedmond’s article on the lamentable decline in the reading of books (“The cause of the great reading crisis is unknown. But the solution is obvious,” December 18th) is supported by evidence gathered in international studies.
Researchers at the University of Florida and University College London, who analysed round-the-clock diaries from 236,000 Americans, expressed concern about their findings.
They corroborate other evidence from the US and elsewhere that people are giving up reading for activities such as endless scrolling through social media or watching short videos on TikTok and Instagram.
Neuroscientists and social psychologists point to the many benefits of becoming absorbed in a book or newspaper, from improved mental health and wellbeing to educational and cultural enrichment.
As Finn McRedmond suggests, gifting print instead of plastic this Christmas to people of all ages is a practical way to kindle an interest in reading in those that have none. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL CULLEN,
Co Dublin.
Gimme a break
Sir, – I’ve just received a printed update on budget 2026 from a local senator. Not only did I not get any tax break after a year of record corporation tax receipts, but the tax I do pay is partly going towards printing material to tell me that. – Yours, etc,
DAVID CURRAN,
Galway.
