As we enter 2018 with no resolution to the dispute between Sinn Féin and the DUP in respect of re-establishing a power-sharing executive at Stormont perhaps it is time to reflect on what is really needed to allow the people on this part of the island of Ireland to achieve economic, cultural and social fulfilment. One suspects that these issues are much too important to be left to the current batch of politicians.
Political life is not easy. It involves long hours and pressures on family life and there is no great job security (although that arguably is less true in Northern Ireland). However, it also involves hard decisions and I believe that our executive, for too many years not just the current impasse, has failed to make those decisions. For a number of years now we have witnessed a decline in the funding of public services, a reduction of the investment in education, crisis after crisis in our health services. A lack of expansion opportunities for our business sector and the underfunding of the voluntary and community sector here, which has seen many important organisations doing so much good work go under with little likelihood of them being resurrected, has seen a rise in frustration in those who are trying to keep Northern Ireland working in spite of the political situation.
It is clear that a return to talks on the same issues is somewhat futile and even if successful is not the most desirable. Maybe we should think about taking those issues out of the political arena and allow them to be adjudicated upon by an independent group of arbiters appointed by the British and Irish governments and decided on by the people of Northern Ireland in separate referenda. Let the executive, the assembly and its committees reform to deal with the delegated budget and other non-red line policy matters that affect the day-to-day lives of the people here and leave those matters that have proven too difficult to someone else.
The people of Northern Ireland may have voted for the current MLAs but they did not vote for the current impasse. Elected representatives need reminded that the balance of their position is about responsibility not power. The people here deserve better and if the choices so far have been so limited as to be ineffective then they must be given more and different choices in the context of the wider future of these islands.
Recently I attended the funeral service of the late Maurice Hayes – a beautiful service for a true visionary. We now need the true visionaries to stand up and lead a way to the future, and to move this society away from the past and those issues that have divided us for too long.
I will leave the European Union issue for another day.
EAMON MULLAN
Garvagh, Co Derry
Mr Ringland should read Lethal Allies before making comments
I have often read letters by Trevor Ringland and generally agreed with his comments. However, I must take him to task on points raised in his letter (December 19) when he states: “We could look at collusion as criminal, negligent or a means of counter-terrorism, but it’s wrong not to recognise that the central ambition of the security forces was always to protect life and property and to end the conflict.”
Loyalist terror gangs, despite what they say on their monuments and murals, directed their murderous campaign at the general Catholic population. We saw recently how Gary Haggarty, a Special Branch agent, casually volunteered to murder a Catholic just to improve his standing within the UVF. The infamous Glenanne Gang, most of whom had security force connections, murdered up to 120 innocent Catholics – I will highlight just two of their atrocities.
On July 31 1975 a gang of up to 12 serving or former UDR men, in army uniform, carried out a murderous attack on the Miami Showband – none of whom had any terrorist connections.
In June 1976 four serving RUC men, wearing boiler suits over their police uniforms, attacked the Rock Bar near Keady, Co Armagh. They shot and wounded one hapless victim and attempted to detonate a bomb. The gang were apprehended but were not even charged with attempted murder and all except one were given suspended sentences.
I have no recollection of any unionist ever condemning these atrocities – they, in fact, blocked every effort to have such terrorist activities independently investigated, dismissing the perpetrators as “a few bad apples”. These atrocities should have sent shock waves all the way to Downing Street and Whitehall – if the establishment didn’t know, they should have known.
This branch of terrorism was allowed to continue unabated.
Mr Ringland should read Lethal Allies by Ann Cadwallader before he makes any further comment on collusion.
P McKENNA
Newry, Co Down
People’s strategy for health
All areas of the health service in NI and Britain is in a perpetual crisis. Under funding has reduced the number of hospital beds by 150,000 in the last two decades in the UK. 100,000 health staff are needed and the service will need and additional £20bn by 2020
This crisis has been brought about not just by under funding, but by a political strategy to dismantle the NHS and move towards a US-style health service. Private health companies now control more than £100bn of national health spending. Private care that has exacerbated pay, work load and staff turnover further as companies race to the bottom to compete for contracts.
The government strategy originates from the private health companies; hence nothing done to resolve staffing, pay, bed shortages etc.
Not even the estimated 100,000 deaths due to preventable errors will curtail the health companies from imposing their will for profit through government legislation on people’s health.
To simply demand more resources for national health will not prevent its further erosion.
A fully funded National Health Service, controlled by elected health committees from NHS health staff, must be the people’s strategy.
HARRY HUTCHINSON
Mid-Ulster Trade Union Council and Labour NI
Co Derry
Trump’s competency
From a distance it is hard to make sense of what is happening in Washington, especially with this latest book on The Donald citing him as incompetent. Any open-minded person should consider that Trump stood for the Republican nomination against the largest (16 candidates) and most qualified field in years. He beat senators, governors and a brain surgeon.
Watch Trump’s submission to a senate committee on the refurbishment of the UN building in New York and honestly judge if you see a competent person or not.
The media (or should I say fake news) never had anything bad to say about Trump until he announced his candidacy then they had nothing good to say about him. This is also very telling to the open-minded
BRIAN GIBSON
Comber, Co Down
Animal cruelty
I agree entirely with John Tierney ‘No festive cheer for Irish wildlife’ (December 22). Hare coursing is barbaric and like bullfighting and cock-fighting does not belong in any society. It has nothing to do with culture or tradition. It unfortunately makes money and for that reason it is allowed to continue. It is simply unbelievable that people can be capable of wanton cruelty. Sooner rather than later we must rise above this primitive savagery.
TERESA MITCHELL
Arklow, Co Wicklow
