The Editor, Letters Page, The Sunday Business Post. Dear Editor, What a pity that Jennifer O’Connell (SPB 18th October) should reduce a reasonably balanced piece about the need for good planning to a typically mean-spirited attack on those living in Council housing. Thanks to the foresight of my predecessors as Dublin City Councillors my parents [...]

Published in The Irish Times 14th May 2009 Madam, – As we begin the final stages of the local and European elections campaign it might be worthwhile reflecting on how politics and these elections are covered in the media. Unfortunately, political integrity and commitment are often presented as if they only occur at the extremes. [...]

The Editor, Letters Page, The Irish Times. (Published 12th February 2009) Dear Editor, I have been reluctant to respond to the naïve, cheap and silly letters regarding the rejection by An Bord Pleanala of the proposals for the Jury’s/Berkeley Court sites. The number of references to “well heeled residents” and “leafy suburbs” became boring after [...]

The Editor, Letters Page, The Irish Times. Dear Editor, Green Party T.D., Ciaran Cuffe, (Irish Times Opinion 22nd January) wrote about the need for Dublin Bus reform at the same time as the Government he supports is rowing back on the need for a relevant and focused Dublin Transport Authority. Last year, the Minister for [...]

The Editor, The Sunday Independent. Dear Editor, Two articles last week – one by Eilis O’Hanlon, the other by Eoghan Harris made me reflect about the need for more thoughtful, intelligent and balanced politics in Ireland. As we begin a New Year, a year that will see Local and European Elections, another Referendum on Lisbon [...]

The Editor, The Sunday Business Post. Dear Editor, The article High Time for high-rise (Stephen Price, Agenda 11th January) more than anything highlighted the need for The Sunday Business Post to employ a Local Government Correspondent. Now, I will leave it to others to defend “greedy builders” – I have no intention of doing so. [...]

The Editor, The Irish Times (Published 22nd December 2008) Madam, – In recent days we have been constantly lectured by Sinn Féin that, in relation to the Lisbon Treaty, the people have spoken and the outcome of that one previous referendum must be respected. It is a pity that those same paragons of democracy could [...]

Published Friday 28th November 2008 The Editor, The Irish Times. Dear Editor, In the course of his speech launching the so called Public Sector Reform Programme the Taoiseach said  “We believe that the local government system is ideally placed to take a lead role in driving integration at local level.  Local councils can also play [...]

Letter to the Editor of The Irish Times, published 12th November 2008 Madam, – Your Editorial “Planning laws and best practice” (November 7th) displayed as balanced an approach to planning and the role of councillors that I have seen in a long time. I will leave it to others to defend those “greedy builders”; I [...]

The Editor, The Irish Times (published 22nd October) Madam, – There was so much in the Budget to be critical of and so many regrets at the failure by the Government to seriously tackle the economic problems in our society, the decision to unilaterally target the over-70s being perhaps the most cynical. However, I want [...]