Don’t discriminate against the mothers

Sir — In response to the letter “Time for equality for all” (Sunday Independent, August 13), I would also like to ask Mr Varadkar not to discriminate against the mothers of Ireland. I too worked all my life. I was forced to give up work in the 1970s to rear my children.

I returned to work in the 1990s and am due to retire shortly, but when calculating my contributory pension they decided to average it over the years I was forced to give up and awarded me a reduced pension. I would also like to ask Mr Varadkar to reverse this very unfair act. I am a HSE worker.

Ann, Name and address with Editor

Time to arm frontline gardai

Sir — The recent terrorist attack in Spain, and previous ones, should be a wake-up call to our Government of the potential danger we face. We are assured that the security forces are ready to deal with any threat and that a police force that is mainly unarmed can be ready to respond to armed and ruthless terrorists, which is absurd.

It is clear that if the Spanish police had not been armed and responded so swiftly, the situation would have been much worse. Our Government seems to be operating on the dangerous assumption that it will not happen here. I believe frontline gardai should be armed as a matter of urgency. Even if there was no terror threat, the number of armed gangs around the country would warrant it.

I find the silence from senior gardai on this matter strange. I know there are some rank-andfile gardai who would prefer not to be armed, but in the world we live in now, these are the tools of the trade. John Farrell, Edenderry, Offaly

Canadian lesson in our human rights

Sir — I am pleased to note that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was willing to spend at least a couple of hours discussing the matter of reproductive healthcare and access to abortion facilities with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. For far too long, Irish politicians have ignored this issue on the basis that the matter is supposedly of no interest to their constituents. The evidence of repeated opinion polls shows this is not the case.

The Eighth Amendment to the Constitution denies every woman and girl in Ireland the right to decide how she is treated during pregnancy. And worse, it criminalises those who make decisions outside this restrictive constitutional framework.

The inaction by Irish politicians regarding the reproductive rights of women — which in advanced western democracies such as Canada are rightly understood to be fundamental human rights — cannot be accepted. It is to be hoped the Taoiseach returned from his trip committed to holding a referendum on removing the Eighth Amendment as soon as possible. Alan Gibson,

Cobh, Co Cork

Sheltered housing

Sir — I refer to Philip Ryan’s excellent and topical report (Sunday Independent, August 20). Might I mention sheltered housing which is not properly recognised or available in this country. Such accommodation for elderly, and not so elderly, persons consists of private independent dwellings, with shared and communal facilities, as necessary. Residents may be tenants or owner occupiers. The Government could urgently explore this matter in their present review which Mr Ryan’s report also covered, as those who prefer remaining in their own homes need more support to do so.

Nursing home care is required by some elderly people but many others just need some basic supports. Owners may well benefit by downsizing and purchasing a sheltered housing dwelling, valuing the quality of their lives, leisure activities, and their independence. Sean Quinn, Blackrock, Co. Dublin