Ban tobacco, not turf, if you really want to save lives

MINISTER Eamon Ryan now wants to ban the sale of turf by the end of the summer.

The elderly country people buy their turf around the end of summer to heat their homes the following winter. Eamon Ryan wants to make it more difficult for these people.

His reason is he wants to save the lives of 1,300 people, who die each year from inhaling the smoke from turf.

There are up to 6,000 people in Ireland who die from inhaling smoke from tobacco, so why doesn’t he ban the sale of cigarettes and save the lives of vastly greater numbers and not pick on our senior citizens?

Of course there is a much bigger tax take from the sale of cigarettes.

Eamonn Burke, Portlaoise, Co. Laois.

Watt an unfair target

IT SHOULD be remembered that Robert Watt was ‘headhunted’ for the post of secretary general of the Department of Health in

April 2021, having previously been the successful head of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform since its inception in 2016.

He was clearly seen as a person with the potential to reform the calamitous area of health with emphasis on the introduction of Sláintecare.

He wasn’t a ‘wet day’ in the post when the still ongoing sniping about his salary started, unfairly giving him a profile that facilitates the attraction of all kinds of reckless comment.

This now conveniently simplifies, in the minds of many, his demonisation in the Dr Holohan/TCD controversy.

For sure he may not have handled the minutiae of the envisaged ‘secondment’ as streamlined as should be expected but for me here was someone getting on with the job of trying to ensure the very best for the nation’s impending health while possibly trying to set parameters for the future on not having to consult politicians on every prominent decision necessary to get our health system fixed.

If politicians are to be consulted on every serious decision required in implementing Sláintecare, for instance, Mr Watt should resign now, save himself from untold future stress and castigation, and join Dr Holohan in the private sector.

Michael Gannon, Co. Kilkenny.

On shaky ground

WHEN Simon Coveney visited

Ukraine and declared it ‘a privilege’ to do so, did he go there in peace representing Eire, our militarily neutral country, or did he go in solidarity with the armed forces of Ukraine?

Why tread on shaky political ground when we are bound by the particular national position of non-participation in foreign wars?

There are two combatants only in this war, Russia and Ukraine.

Eire stands apart from this, surely?

I hope so.

Robert Sullivan, Bantry, Co. Cork.

Animal instincts

IT’S shocking to hear that dog fertility clinics and artificial insemination are now recognised to be the metaphorical Wild West of animal welfare.

I am so grateful to Senator

Lynn Boylan in recently highlighting the unscrupulous operators out there who are cashing in on demand for certain breeds.

The senator is so right in calling for further regulation apropos to same.

It’s my opinion that the Government’s approach to animal welfare in this country is nothing short of egregious. The penalties meted out to those who are cruel and mistreat animals is risible.

I also feel the funding that goes towards animal welfare is very meagre, I am aware of many volunteers who are exhausted and are at the end of their tether vis-a-vis the daily witnessing of animal abuse.

I especially find it galling to see monies from the tax payer being given to the greyhound industry.

Puppy farming and dog smuggling in this country is also an outage. It’s heart rending and distressing to see the number of animals in this country that are discarded and abandoned.

Please only procure a dog if you are prepared to give it unconditional love and attention. See the dog as a member of the family and not some disposable commodity.

Our animals are sacred and are deserving of our utmost kindness and respect.

John O’Brien, Clonmel,

Co. Tipperary.