Offering TDs maternity leave could backfire
I WONDER if the move to give full maternity leave to pregnant TDs, while laudible in its intentions, might backfire.
If voters in a constituency elect a woman to the Dáil and then find that she’s absent from her job for an extended period because she’s had it a baby, they might be unhappy.
Some might be more inclined to vote for a man in future. You could end up with a situation where it becomes significantly harder for a woman to be elected in the first place.
Margaret Doyle, Dublin 15.
Josepha’s brass neck
WHILE I do not have a problem with the ordination of women priests I could not believe what I was hearing on the Seán O’Rourke Show: Minister Josepha Madigan discussing how she took it upon herself to perform most of the duties of the priest who failed to turn up at the Church of St Therese in Mount Merrion last weekend.
Ms Madigan has some brass neck. She co-ordinated the Fine Gael Yes campaign during the abortion referendum.
Yet when asked by O’Rourke about this contradiction of Church teaching, she said she ‘believes in free will’. In other words, no rules for Josepha except when Leo puts the whip on and tells her which way to vote.
Denis Dennehy, Dublin.
Saving water
TO tackle the current water shortage, use paper plates, take short showers and take sponge baths. The only extra cost will be for more deodorant.
Kevin Devitte, Westport, Co. Mayo.
Mistreated Myers
I WOULD like to wish Kevin Myers the best of luck (‘Myers to sue RTÉ over radio Holocaust remarks’, MoS, June 24).
The man has been treated absolutely dreadfully.
No humanity or compassion was shown to him at all. We all make mistakes in life. It is called being human. We all need to forgive and to be forgiven. He made a mistake with his article and he lost his livelihood. He did not commit treason or murder. The stress must be awful on the man.
Maureen Masterson, by email.
Lay off Keano
I’M NO great admirer of Roy Keane, but Joe Duffy’s attack on him (MoS, June 24) was more than a little unfair.
He quotes Keane’s attack on Carols Queiroz, a former assistant coach at Manchester United over an old dispute: ‘I should have ripped his head off.’
In fact, when you see the full TV clip of Keane you can see there is an element of humour to what he said, that it was a throwaway remark.
Most importantly, Keane immediately followed the comment by saying; ‘But an excellent coach, and he’s doing an excellent job, it has to be said.’
That’s not the conclusion of a man who is the coiled spring of fury that Joe imagines him to be. Lighten up, Joe!
Brian Keegan, Cork city.
Cheer up, Eamon
WITH the World Cup in full swing, it is a wonderful time for RTÉ’s Eamon Dunphy.
While some people find it difficult to take the former Millwall player seriously, he can be quite entertaining and obviously adds to the viewing figures for the coverage from the Dublin 4 station.
Someone once said of Dunphy that he is happy when giving out and the more he has to give out about the happier he is.
But it can be a bit irritating hearing him putting the boot into some of the world’s top footballers, considering he was such an unexceptional player himself.
Eric Rice, Navan, Co. Meath.
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