My tragic loss can inspire us to protect life
I AM really saddened with the debate amongst us regarding the Eighth Amendment.
Indeed, I cannot believe that our country is even discussing removing the only protection our unborn children have in our Constitution.
A few years ago, I suffered a miscarriage at 14 weeks and our baby was stillborn. The doctor told us that she had most probably died a week or so before. It was the bitterest of days for us but also one of the most beautiful.
Now, I wish the entire nation could have been with us that day, to see what we saw. Our little child was so perfectly formed, every single feature so visible yet she fitted from her head to her toes in the palm of my hand.
What was most striking to us was that her tiny hand was placed under her chin and she was smiling at the moment of her death.
If our child could have had the emotion to feel joy, to smile, at such an early stage of her development, it follows that she would equally have felt pain. So, in memory of our beautiful angel, who taught us so much from her death, of life in the womb – I implore you to please consider very carefully how to vote in the referendum.
We must all pull together to help women who feel there is no other option but to abort their child. There is always a better way. AMANDA GALLAGHER,
Ballisodare, Co. Sligo.
How to save jobs
THE fact that we have reached just over 6% unemployment at the moment could perversely be unfortunate insofar as it leaves us complacent and prevents us doing anything which will sustain employment into the future. We are creating a great number of jobs but conventional job creation alone is not sufficient anymore.
Whether we like it or not (and politicians and economists certainly don’t like it), technology is eliminating enormous quantities of work. Now, more jobs must be generated from less work.
Later entry into work, shorter hours, longer holidays and earlier retirement must be recognised as essential, or out-of-control unemployment will place unsustainable pressure on society, democracy and civilisation itself.
That is why recent policies of older retirement and longer hours are so wrong and counter-productive. Fortunately sufficient wealth, created by technology, is available to facilitate such revolutionary work practices and conditions.
PADRAIC NEARY, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo.
Stain on our nation
THE treatment of Joanne Hayes is an appalling stain on our nation. What this poor girl had to go through at the hands of those who investigated the case 30 years ago... Reading back over the details, it sounds like a horror film penned in Hollywood. An infant’s lifeless body was found with multiple injuries in a bag on White Strand Beach in Cahersiveen, Co. Kerry, in 1984.
Ms Hayes had given birth to a baby boy on her family farm which subsequently died and its body was found on the property. Gardaí arrested her on the unlikely theory that she had been pregnant with twins by two different males and gave birth to both babies.
The murder charge was dropped later that year and a tribunal was set up to investigate the Garda handling of the case. But why has it taken 30 years to provide this innocent woman with an apology she so blatantly deserved?
We can only hope a review of the case will now take place and the public will get answers. Hopefully such a travesty of justice will never take place again and nobody will have to go through what Ms Hayes went through. It has put a terrible blight on our justice system. NOEL HARRINGTON,
Kinsale, Co. Cork.
Taxes must be paid
AS A compliant taxpayer I am always very careful about my tax returns and any claims I might make – and always pay the tax that I am required to. I certainly haven’t forgotten to pay €31billion – the sum Apple is now going to fork out. We all have to pay our share and that includes all of the international firms based in taxfavourable countries. DENNIS FITZGERALD,
Melbourne, Australia.