It is just over one year since I retired as a member of the Stormont Assembly after serving 18 years as the Alliance representative for the Strangford constituency.
I am like so many other people completely shocked and disgusted by the very negative posturing of some of our so-called high ranking politicians. The result being we have no working assembly at Stormont and our entire community is suffering and will continue to suffer. If direct rule is reintroduced misery and hardship will be felt by everyone.
I was recently particularly affected by the despair of a mother on television lamenting the horrendous loss of her young son, Aaron Strong.
The coroner at his inquest made yet another appeal for the prescription drug Tramadol to be reclassified to a class A drug.
Former Northern Ireland state pathologist, Professor Jack Crane, also spoke at the inquest and has a vast experience on these issues. He has on many occasions called for a similar reclassification of the drug. Tramadol is a lethal drug and can be a killer. I offer heartfelt sorrow to Aaron’s mother and all of his family. It was stated that this drug takes the life of more people in Northern Ireland than any other drug, so it is time for action. Assembly members must take action thereby saving the lives of our young people.
This is but one example of how our politicians are failing our population and my passionate plea to all at Stormont is to listen to the electorate and act accordingly.
As a member of the health committee for many years and serving with members from all other parties I simply ask all members to continue to work together to see some positive action thereby saving innocent lives sooner rather than later.
Presently our health services need the urgent attention of an executive committee to pull out all the stops to provide that service when it is required. We did have all-party agreement on the Bengoa report.
A returned executive is vital to ensure progress is made in all of our services to prevent parents having to endure such an intolerable burden and the loss.
I appeal to the new assembly members, and particularly the two ladies at the top, to show a little bit of humility and leadership. They have the duty, responsibility and the means to provide all our people with a better health service; a better education service; better environment and employment.
Do not squander what could be a last opportunity for a better future for the people of Northern Ireland.
KIERAN McCARTHY
Portaferry, Co Down
An unborn child’s right to life is non-negotiable
The move by the SDLP to suspend three councillors for failing to support a motion condemning the alleged ‘harassment’ of women outside an abortion referral agency in Belfast is deeply troubling and has connotations of Fine Gael’s blatant disregard for the consciences of its members, in July 2013, as they forced abortion legislation through Dáil Éireann.
It is claimed, by Colum Eastwood and others, that the disciplinary measure taken against Pat Convery, Kate Mullan and Declan Boyle “has nothing to do with abortion” but is about so-called “harassment”. If persons are being “intimidated”, by anyone whosoever, on the streets of Belfast, it is the duty of the police to intervene and put a stop to it. However, contrary to Mr Eastwood’s assertion, this motion, most definitely, has everything to do with abortion.
The right to life of the unborn child is non-negotiable. Bearing witness to the truth about abortion, praying and trying persuade women not to abort their unborn infants is not harassment.
Many an unborn child has been saved from abortion as a result of this witness. Many women are grateful that they encountered a faithful witness to the Gospel of Life outside an abortion clinic or referral centre and thought again about their decision.
Catholics and other Christians, praying, distributing pro-life literature and bearing witness to the truth about abortion is an important spiritual weapon in the battle against abortion.
Faithful Christians are not fooled by this disingenuous and mischievous motion and know full well the agenda that lies behind it.
We are fully alert to the conniving forces that are hellbent upon liberalising Ireland’s abortion laws and whose endgame is abortion on demand. We are determined to oppose them.
FR PATRICK McCAFFERTY
Belfast BT12
It’s time to stop raking up old scores
Can Mr Gibson (April 6) deny that the new free state in 1922 was an explicitly sacramental state whose laws were in full harmony with Vatican teaching and that the Dáil abolished the right to divorce? That WB Yeats resigned in despair from his honorary membership of the senate? That the Protestant population of the free state nearly vanished – now a tiny ethnic fragment down from 20 per cent? That the new states on each side of the new border differed little from each other in their wish to create and retain a comfortable ambience for their faith and daily living Protestants feared the sensation of living in a sea of Catholics and the free state indulged in what Wikipaedia calls an orgy of Catholic triumphalism?
One hundred years later we got the chance to grow up and develop from our past mentalities and we must not waste it in raking up old scores.
RAYMOND MITCHELL
Portadown, Co Armagh
Sinn Féin should stop misleading electorate
I agree with Ray Bassett, former Irish Ambassador (April 10), that the EU proposals for Brexit mean that there will be customs posts at the border. But the UK government has stated that it will not have such posts – these border posts will be on the Irish side of the border because of EU requirements.
It is time that Sinn Féin was exposed for misleading the electorate north and south.It has had demonstrations at Stormont against border posts and at Leinster House against water charges. Yet it is the EU which will require the border posts and the water charges.
Sinn Féin should have its protests at the EU Commission Offices in Dublin and not at Leinster House or Stormont but it does not do so because it supports the EU and its policies.
LORD KILCLOONEY
Co Armagh
Leave our old town alone
Develop not demolish is a slogan adapted by the new an recently formed Save the Cathedral Quarter Body, which has been set up by a group of people interested in one thing and one thing only, to save our cities heritage. Something I personally look forward to when I visit another city is to seek out and visit its old town. It’s here where the vast majority of tourists and locals congregate to get the real feel and vibrancy of all things attached to city life past and present. It is my believe that more recent developments like Titanic Quarter and the newly acquired 22 acre Sirocco works site should be allowed to flourish and show the rest of the world that we have the ability and infrastructure to support incoming business and investment and portray Belfast as a modern 21st century city. But for the sake of Belfast citizens, past and present, generations to come and the influx of tourists which we now are seeing – please leave our old town alone.
JIM BRENNAN
Dunmurry, Co Antrim
