Irish Voice Letters to the Editor

I HAVE been following the scandalous outrage that is Larry Murphy’s release back in August 2010, and his subsequent admittance back into Ireland in May/June 2011 because he had his passport stolen by a prostitute in Spain.

Clearly t his scoundrel is being protected by the Irish justice system and has been since his release back in August 2010.

The fact that he repeatedly raped and almost murdered a Carlow woman and served only 10 years for this heinous crime should be enough for the justice system in Ireland to be revamped from head to toe.  But of course the powers that be do nothing.

THE suggestion by billionaire Warren Buffet that the "mega-rich" pay more taxes should be taken up in Ireland and, indeed, across the globe.

Ever since the Thatcherism and Reaganism of the 1980s, there has been a steady transfer of wealth to the very rich which has accelerated in the last few years as hard working people have taken cuts in income to bail out super-wealthy bankers.

Not only is this socially unjust, contributing to the recent riots in England, but it is economic insanity. Those on low and middle incomes re-invest practically all of their money in their local economy, keeping more people in work.

THE rioting and looting which recently took place throughout England was as serious as any which took place here in the North of Ireland, yet those in charge of policing deemed it unnecessary to use lethal weapons -- i.e. plastic bullets.

The lesson to be learned is that there are alternative methods which can be deployed in dealing with such public order issues.

Will the Police Service of Northern Ireland take this on board and decommission plastic bullets?

IRELAND’S forestry board, Coillte, is set to sacrifice thousands of defenseless creatures in a callous bid to boost its profits.

Coillte is currently selling licenses that will allow hunters to destroy life in forests all over the country.
Not only will woodland wildlife be killed, but also creatures that Coillte is inviting hunters to introduce into the forests to use as targets.

Coillte is owned by the Irish people, and this contamination of profits with blood money is surely unacceptable to the merciful majority. The deer, foxes and birds that make a visit to a forest so priceless for so many should be allowed to live free from persecution.

THE recent news that President Obama will “halt” deportations against non-offending undocumented immigrants is a joke and a clear attempt to attract Latino votes next year.

Can this president do anything right? Can’t he just fight for what he believes in, instead of all the half-hearted measures he’s been putting forth since taking office? 


He promised comprehensive immigration reform, and could have worked towards that end during his first two years in office but he did nothing. Now he wants us all to believe that he is pro-immigrant.