Mála Poist

Cuimhní cinn

A Chairde,

Tá grúpaí iarchimí Poblachtánach ag obair ar bhailiúchán de chuimhní cinn ó na príosúin. Tá súil againn le léireoidh na cuimhní cinn, trí mheán na Gaeilge, an phian, an greann, an chomrádaíocht agus an eachtraíocht a bhain leis na príosúin. Tá dóchas againn go mbeidh ailt uatha siúd a bhí i ngeibheann ó dheas agus ó thuaidh, ó mhná agus ó fhir.

Más é go raibh tú féin faoi ghlas agus má tá scéal le hinsint agat, is féidir dul i dteagmháil le Mícheál ag Coiste na nIarchimí, 10 Beechmount Avenue, Béal Feirste BT12 7NA no glao a chur ar (028) 9020 0770.

Chomh maith le sonraí teagmhala, ba chóir creatlach den scéal a seoladh chugam ina léireofar cén áit a raibh tú i bpríosún, cén blianta a bhí i gceist agus cad é mar a léireoidh an scéal na géithe sin luaite sa dara abairt thuas.

Tá an chuid ábhar foilsithe faoi na príosún trí mheán an Bhéarla ach is beag atá ar fáil as Gaeilge. Níl stair cuimsitheach i gceist leis an saothar seo ach tá sé de rún againn go bhfoilseofar an obair ar ball.

Marcas Mac Ruairí,

Béal Feirste.

RTE and the licence fee

A Chairde,

Chris Rowland's article about the importance of public service broadcasting and the need for more home produced programming is a timely reminder of the social, cultural and political importance of having such a service in the face of the Americanisation of the media.

I think Chris is being a little hard on RTE, however. The licence fee increase has meant the amount of home produced programming has similarly gone up, even though the licence fee in Ireland is about €20 less than that received by the BBC.

Similarly, RTE is not loss-making, as Chris states, but made a profit last year, even if only a small one. It is significant that in 2003, the fully allocated cost of all home-produced Irish Television in-house productions and external commissions, on RTE One and on RTE 2, came to a total of €148.5 million, whilst the level of Television Licence Fee income attributed to these activities came to only €102.9 million.

But Chris is right in pointing to RTE 2 as a channel with far more than its share of cheap foreign imports instead of quality home-produced programming. With the exception of sports coverage, home produced television on RTE 2 is almost non-existent. And this for a channel that costs 20% of the licence fee.

While Chris might be giving RTE a hard time, his suggestion that the costs and benefits of RTE 2 be looked at is a good one.

Jim Nolan,

County Galway.

Editor's note: To be fair to Chris, he did submit changes to his article pointing out RTE's small profit last year, but they were received too late for publication.

A divided society

A Chairde,

I would like to draw your readers' attention to the recent startling statistics revealing the increasing social divide in the field of education in this state and to express my concern at this appalling development. The figures indicate that fee-paying schools in the Dublin region are thriving while free education schools are facing significantly reduced enrolments.

Fee-paying schools are turning down large numbers of applicants while free education schools are seriously under-subscribed, presenting huge challenges and begging the question as to what type of a society we are evolving into.

Ordinary taxpayers are subsidising posh private schools at a rate of €85 million a year. Are these same taxpayers aware of this fact and are they happy with this situation? Are they content that their tax euro is funding an increasing gulf between the haves and have-nots of our society? I for one doubt it.

Overcrowded primary school classrooms, one in three children attending disadvantaged schools, huge literacy problems and many children going to school hungry with parents struggling to pay for uniforms and books — this is the reality of education in post-Celtic Tiger Ireland.

The present government pursues a mé féin, I'm all right Jack, agenda at every turn. It is pushing for the sell-off of public services and utilities in every sphere of society — education, health, transport, waste management, housing provision and the list goes on. If you don't have enough money to make ends meet in today's Ireland, well it's 'tough luck' as far as the government is concerned.

Now they have grown so arrogant they don't even attempt to deny this. Recent comments from Mary Harney and Michael McDowell saying that inequality in society was a good and necessary thing and comparing the poor and disadvantaged with an unfortunate fourth division football team, were despicable.

The greatest ally of the government's agenda is ignorance. It is very important that the harsh realities of what the present administration is doing to dismantle the welfare state and construct a greedy, individualist economy in place of an inclusive society is highlighted. Community groups, elected representatives of the Left and local media can all play a vital role in exposing the ugly face of this right-wing government and its effects on the people.

Sinn Féin Cllr Andrew O'Connell,

City Hall,

Dublin 1.

Democratic?

A Chairde,

The Bush administration has some neck in refusing to recognise the result of the referendum in Venezuela, which was confirmed as fully democratic by respected international observers, including former US President, Jimmy Carter.

Surely a 58% approval for Chavez on an 80% turnout beats a 49% vote for Bush on a sub 50% turnout any day?

Dessie Ellis,

Dublin 11.