A Chara, - As a school psychological counsellor in the US, I welcome the National Task Force on Suicide's recommendations for better counselling and psychological services in Irish schools. I find it amazing that the Department of Education has not taken the real need for counsellors and psychologists more seriously. My work takes me to both primary and secondary schools in New York. Along with the sad and traumatic incidence of suicide are many problems and issues that, when not dealt with, hinder theindividual's education, development and well-being. In these times of both parents working outside the home, single parenthood, drugs, blurred morals and ethics and increased diversity, Irish children face the same concerns as youngsters in New York and other fast-paced cities. In this kind of environment each child should have access to counselling services without undue delay or confusing referral procedures. I sincerely hope the points outlined in the Task Force recommendations are not disregarded but considered and implemented. - Is Mise, Peadar Maxwell,
School Counsellor,
Port Washington Schools,
Long Island, USA.
Mass And The MassesSir, - RTE's Prime Time "special" of February 3rd, turned out to be a sociological study and did not attempt to see how the needs of the human soul are or are not being met.The question needs to be addressed in a bigger picture. We are a people who have walked away from our language in the last century. Now we are walking away from our religion in this century. Are we involved in an exodus with somewhere to leave but nowhere to go? It might well be that it is not only Christianity we are walking away from. We could be walking away from our own souls and if we are we will surely end up in the wasteland T.S. Eliot has so frighteningly described.In a world that is going over the precipice, where we have become the iceberg into which the earth has crashed, we never needed Christianity more to wave the flag and cry stop. We, that have built the ESB offices in Fitzwilliam Street and Liberty Hall by the Liffey, might well be ashamed of our modern adventure when we walk into Chartes Cathedral and sense soul.To return to the Prime Time "special", are we now at a stage where we are abusing Brendan Smyth? Showing his image in slow motion is being made an RTE signature tune for the modern Church and does not take account of the God we must all make our peace with. - Yours, etc.,Pat Moore, C.C.
The Presbytery,
Gneeveguilla,
Rathmore,
Co Kerry.