Letters to the Editor: High time leadership in Jadotville is recognised
The movie The Siege of Jadotville, available to stream on Netflix, is in widespread circulation in the world. It is of particular interest in the Irish diaspora in the US, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
Two months ago, I wrote to defence minister Simon Harris requesting him to outline the Government's policy on the Jadotville saga. Despite a reminder, I have not received a response — nor likely to it seems — which raises many questions.
I have personally studied this campaign at length.
I asked Mr Harris: 'Why is it that the greatest military campaign involving the Irish Defence Forces in our recent history is treated with such contempt and such betrayal by our Government; the civil service hierarchy in the department of defence; and most disappointingly, by the hierarchy of the Irish Defence Forces?'
I have soldiered for 30 years in the Irish Defence Forces, holding leadership positions of responsibility at home and abroad.
I commanded 340 Irish soldiers over a 13-month period in Lebanon and all 340 came home alive, thank God.
I asked Mr Harris this in the view of the almost continuous contemptuous attitude of the Government to this magnificent operational feat — that over a five-day period of continuous onslaught by 3,000 heavily armed attackers supported by heavy weapons and a Fouga fighter jet, which strafed the small Irish position at will — that not one Irish soldier died and just a handful of minor injuries were sustained.
Up to 300 attackers died in the five days. The Irish troops' food, water, and ammunition ran out — after which Pat Quinlan negotiated a 'surrender with conditions' with the attackers — and all 156 Irish soldiers arrived home safe and well. Sadly, they arrived into 63 years of treachery by their government, their minister, and their military hierarchy. Life sentences. What a tragedy for 156 Irish families.
Instead of pathetically berating these heroes for 63 years, it is time that Pat Quinlan's leadership and the sheer professionalism of his officers, NCOs, and private soldiers — some of whom were barely 17 years of age — be recognised.
All 156 Irish soldiers were magnificent.
I posed the question to Mr Harris: 'Maybe the Government would prefer to be annually commemorating the slaughter of 156 brave Irish soldiers, rather than celebrating their magnificent achievement in battle since their arrival home to Ireland in early 1962?'
Quinlan, as is his right as commanding officer, made a number of written recommendations for commendations for a number of officers, NCOs, and privates.
These medals have never been awarded, and now comes the current government treachery of an approach by a very senior member to a member of the extended Quinlan family: If the Jadotville veterans gave up their quest for the medals that Comdt Pat Quinlan recommended for his men, the Government would arrange that Comdt Pat Quinlan's family would be awarded a distinguished service medal with honour for the man. Such an offer has been immediately and unanimously rejected by each and every age group of the extended Quinlan family.
What an insult to a quality family of three generations in the Irish Defence Forces.
It poses a very serious question as to the integrity and loyalty of those civilians who 'lead' our country. It is of serious concern.
Ray Cawley, Commandant Retd, Douglas, Cork
HSE could solve housing crisis
Could the HSE literally hold the key to some of our housing woes?
Here in Killarney, we have an enormous property called St Finian's that is owned by the HSE.
The building is in a prime location but has remained idle for over 20 years, experiencing year-on-year decline.
Meanwhile, two more large HSE properties are about to be vacated as a new community hospital opens in our town.
What are the plans for the paediatric hospitals about to be vacated in Dublin? Could all of these properties be repurposed into apartments for much-needed staff and young people?
All the vacant property grants can be utilised and rent is payed to the HSE with a buy-out option.
Perhaps your readers could highlight any HSE-owned vacant buildings in their towns and cities.
It seems an obvious solution.
Vera Wall, via email
Same excuse for housing years later
Given the numerous reports about a lack of supply in the Irish housing market, it is time to take a look back at one of the promises made by a Fine Gael taoiseach.
An RTÉ report from May 19, 2014, has the taoiseach of the day commenting on the housing and homelessness crisis. The report describes the taoiseach saying that 'the Government was determined to respond to the phenomenon of homelessness', but also mentioning how he said that 'it was not possible to provide instant houses overnight'.
That was 11 years ago.
The same excuse is being used today, 11 years later. Eleven years.
Fine Gael has been in government all the time since. Fianna Fáil has been alongside them in one way or another for most of that time.
It's an old line that you should look at what people do rather than at what they say. What Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have done is to create and sustain the housing crisis.
What we're seeing is not failure, it's a success of long-sustained government policy.
Hugh Sheehy, Blackrock, Dublin
Good intentions won't help illness
As a mental health social worker who is also the professional applicant in the involuntary admission of patients suffering from serious mental illness, I could not agree more with Dr Crowe's ('People with severe mental illness will be failed by proposed new law') concerns about proposed changes to our Mental Health Act that could delay treatment.
Human rights advocates without clinical experience are well intentioned, but they do not live with family members who suffer with frightening paranoid thoughts of being harmed. Neither do they visit their homes or care for them in our public psychiatric units.
Frank Browne, Templeogue, Dublin 16
Defect in new bill
I found the article by medical consultant Dr Suzanne Crowe to be a most compelling read.
Dr Crowe is correct in taking the Government to task by stating that the new mental health bill is making one very serious mistake.
She delineates how this new bill will allow people experiencing psychosis to refuse treatment while in a mental hospital. She is correct in saying that this is a misguided attempt to protect the human rights of someone who may believe that doctors are evil scientists trying to drain their blood.
I also have to agree with Dr Crowe when she proffers the notion that this Mental Health Bill has created a bizarre anomaly where the doctors are detaining while the judges are now finding that they are being elevated to a position of treating these poor souls.
Psychosis is a severe mental condition in which thoughts and emotions are so affected that contact is often lost with external reality.
The symptoms of psychosis is confused thinking and delusions allied to false beliefs that are not shared by others. Hallucinations are common, and this is where the psychotic hears, sees, smells, or tastes something that isn't there.
This is why this bill would deny people with the psychosis treatments they need if they choose to deny them. The Government must realise that it's the illness and not the treatment that robs the patient of their autonomy. Dr Crowe sums up this anomaly for me when she says: 'To admit and not properly treat denies the person their right to return to health.'
This, to my mind, is an unfathomable defect in this proposed bill. I would urge the government to immediately look at amending this obvious flaw in this bill.
Clinical psychotherapist John O'Brien, Clonmel, Tipperary
Automatic right to allowance
The disability allowances are outdated. It should not be means tested, it should be an automatic right. Inheritance tax for those who have a lifelong disability should not be classed the same as those with no lifelong disability and able to create their own wealth. People with lifelong disabilities suffer enough, and our Government has neglected disabilities for too long.
Siobhan O'Rourke, Castleisland, Kerry
Read More
Letters to the Editor: Sacrificing assets to hit unreachable targets
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Sweeping RPZ changes could be a 'timebomb' with tens of thousands of tenants facing eviction
The Government has been warned that sweeping changes to the rent pressure zone (RPZ) system could create a 'timebomb' with tens of thousands facing evictions unless specific protections are put in place. Housing minister James Browne will bring his proposals for an overhaul of the RPZ system to a meeting of coalition leaders on Monday night and a memo to Cabinet on Tuesday. The moves are part of an overall plan to attract international investment and kickstart the building of apartments, as well as overhaul the RPZ system, which was introduced in 2016 and sharply criticised by last year's report by the Housing Commission. The proposals include: The 2% cap in RPZs will remain in place for existing tenancies but new tenancies will be more closely linked to the base rate of inflation; Landlords will be able to change or reset rents between tenancies, a change from the current system which designates whether or not a home is in a rent pressure zone. It is understood that Mr Browne also wants improved rental protections to prevent the likelihood of a landlord seeking to move people on or evict tenants. In an unexpected move, the minister will also seek to legislate for minimum six-year terms for some renters. The landlord would be allowed reset the rent every six years to the current market rate. It is also understood that there will be a tightening of the rules regarding ending tenancies to make way for a landlord's family member. 'Incentive to evict and reset rents' Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin said the plans would create a four-tier rental system and were 'utter madness'. He said if there are no specific protections for those who are in Part IV tenancies since before 2022, there will be a 'timebomb' of potential evictions because those tenancies do not fall under reforms to the law which preclude no-fault evictions. This would mean 'tens of thousands' of landlords would have an incentive to end tenancies, according to Mr Ó Broin. If those Part IV tenancies come to an end, then there is a huge incentive for landlords — not all landlords, but there are thousands of leases here — to legally evict tenants and reset to market rents. A Part 4 tenancy refers to a period of security of tenure for tenants under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. It essentially means that after a tenant has resided in a property for six months and hasn't received a valid notice of termination, they have the right to stay in the dwelling for a specified period, typically six years, unless a valid reason for termination exists. While Mr Browne's proposals on security of tenure will require legislation, it is unclear if this could be retroactive to take in existing pre-2022 tenancies. RPZ system 'helped to moderate rent increases' While the latest proposals are seen as a key measure to get apartment building and finance moving through certainty in the market, particularly in Dublin, John Mark McCafferty of housing charity Threshold said that, without the 2% cap, some renters could be pushed into homelessness. 'Despite its flaws, the RPZs, as they're currently constituted, helped to moderate rent increases and without it, tenants would likely face substantial rent increases in certain scenarios that may or may not be planned by government,' he told RTÉ radio. Mr McCafferty added: If there is a real dilution of those rental protections, that would push more renters into financial distress and, arguably, homelessness. Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne said the move to lift caps was ''a cruel decision by a government captured by vulture fund landlords'. Mr Browne and the Government are under pressure to address the housing crisis in the short term, following a number of issues in the first half of the year. On top of the botched appointment of a housing tsar, recent analysis shows that active housing commencements, dropped to a four-year low of 3,126 in the first quarter of this year. And the Central Bank recently told an Oireachtas committee that completions will hit around 35,000 this year, far below what is needed. Read More Controls on rent increases for new build homes to be relaxed under new proposals
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Simon Harris was lobbied by arms industry, FoI records show
A lobby group for some of the world's largest arms companies pushed Simon Harris to establish an arms industry strategy. Records released under Freedom of Information show that the Irish Defence and Security Association (IDSA) wrote to Department of Defence assistant secretary general Eamonn Murtagh seeking to schedule a 'quarterly meeting' in late March. The following week, the group's directors, Catriona Heinl and Pat O'Connor, wrote 'a letter of introduction' to Mr Harris, who had been appointed defence minister in January. Lobbying register disclosures show a meeting was held on April 10 at the Department of Defence with the directors of the association to 'represent IDSA member priorities such as certainty surrounding industrial participation policy and industry strategy aspects'. In the letter, the group said it had a number of priorities which it says arose in light of both Irish and European commitments to increase military spending. The introductory letter says the step-up in national and European defence expenditures, 'will prompt the call for local industrial involvement' and that it 'is critical to shape these foundations at this stage'. 'IDSA has strongly recommended the need to develop the nation's defence industry strategy and thereby determine a defined industrial participation policy in defence procurement [in compliance with national/EU regulation].' IDSA members include Lockheed Martin The lobby group, whose members include the world's largest arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin, told the department it 'can provide essential input, bringing national and European industry experience to relevant consultations'. The letter to Mr Harris goes on to say that 'there is an urgent need for active coordination with relevant ministries/agencies responsible for trade and the economy' and the industry and adds that 'the Government's expected economic benefit to Ireland of these increased national defence spend ambitions does not seem to have been yet provided for'. In March, EU 27 leaders signed off on a move to loosen budget restrictions so that willing EU countries can increase their military spending. They also urged the European Commission to explore new ways 'to facilitate significant defence spending at national level in all member states'. The IDSA letter says 'clarity will be needed on how Ireland will position itself in relation to EU Defence Industrial Strategy where the implications of an evolving but fast moving EU industrial focus for Ireland does not yet seem to be determined'. Harris proposed €3bn military budget Mr Harris told the 'Irish Examiner' in February that, 'over time', Ireland should raise military spending to €3bn a year, the highest level set out by the Commission on the Defence Forces 2022 report. That envisages 12 naval vessels, a squadron of combat aircraft, and the army ranger wing having 'an organic self-sustainment capability which would include dedicated combat helicopter assets'. Mr Harris said then: 'The programme for government talks about reaching what they call level of ambition two by 2028 and that basically gets to the €1.5bn. 'But I think we are going to have to go further than that in time. And the programme for Government does talk about moving towards level of ambition three. What I'm saying to the Irish people is €1.5bn should be seen as the floor and certainly not the ceiling in terms of where defence expenditure needs to get to.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
'To say I saw appalling stuff is an understatement': Irish soldier on fighting on Ukraine's frontline
Despite the horrors witnessed while fighting the Russians on the Ukrainian frontline and suffering from post-traumatic strees, a former Irish soldier says he is actively considering returning to the warzone to fight once more with his Ukrainian colleagues. Peter*, a single man who is in his 30s and comes from the south of Ireland, served with the Defence Forces for five years. He decided to travel to Ukraine shortly after the Russian invasion in 2022 and returned home a year later. However, he told the Irish Examiner he considering going back again to help, like another former Defence Forces veteran has recently done. 'My initial decision was to defend the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and I arrived there a couple of days after the invasion. Recruits take a physiological adaptation training near frontline close to Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sunday. 'Initially my family were supportive, but were fairly worried. At the start, it was a bit of an unknown. If I'd had gone out later, the conditions of the war would have been more apparent and my family would have worried even more,' Peter said. While he was able to keep in contact with home while fighting in Ukraine, this contact was kept to a minimum, and was essentially limited to letting them know that he was still alive. This was done through various communication channels, but Peter said he was not prepared to reveal them in order to protect others still out there who are in contact with their relatives. He was aware of other Irish people serving with the Ukrainians — although none were in his unit. Peter was posted to a special forces unit which contained a mixture of Ukrainian special forces and airborne personnel. 'I was the only non-Ukrainian in that unit. Their English was very good so communication was not an issue,' he said. Initially, he was based in Kyiv, but after two months was posted to the frontline between Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, and Donetsk. 'To say I saw appalling stuff is an understatement. It got gradually worse as the war went on as there was heavier and heavier combat. Quite a few of my friends died,' he said. All the training he did with the Defence Forces could never have prepared him for what he saw. He said British and American soldiers he met out there, and who had fought for their countries in Iraq and Afghanistan, said it was 'even more brutal in Ukraine than those places". Sometimes, Peter and his comrades were less than 40 m from the Russian lines. The enemy would shout out 'threats of what was coming to us' and call on them to surrender. He was injured once and had to spend a week in hospital. There were times when combat didn't stop, and exhausted soldiers were forced to fight for days without any sleep. 'It was sometimes 24/7 and you would be lucky if you might get an hour to nod off. Once, there were three days of constant combat. The adrenaline would be pumping, the bullets flying and the artillery keeping you awake. You had a sense of duty to your comrades. Anyway, if you fell asleep you were dead,' he said. He managed to secure some leave and returned to Ireland when his unit was stood down for rest. 'To say we were combat fatigued would be an understatement,' he added. Peter is still seriously considering going back to Ukraine because of a 'sense of duty' to those of his comrades left behind who are still fighting. A soldier prepares a 120mm mortar to fire towards Russian army positions near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, last month. Picture: Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP And he readily admitted reports that the Russians are amassing 50,000 troops for a further push into the country 'could be a trigger to go back'. The Russians are currently building up troop numbers near Ukraine's northern Sumy region for what observers believe could be a planned summer offensive. Peter said he was constantly keeping himself updated and is in touch with comrades still fighting with his unit. Again, for security reasons, he won't divulge how this communication is happening. Any decision he makes to return to Ukraine may well be 'spontaneous', but if the Russians launch a summer offensive, he could well go back to help his comrades, a number of whom are close friends. He said one of these men has a wife who has come to Ireland to seek safety from the constant threat of a Russian missile attack. In terms of peace, Peter says while the outcome is 'unpredictable' unfortunately, it looks likely that Ukraine will have to cede some of its territory to the Russian invaders. In terms of dealing with his post-traumatic stress, he is thankful for the charity, ONE, which helps former Defence Forces personnel. 'I was quite reluctant to seek help initially. A mutual friend said I could do with some support and gave me the relevant contacts (with ONE). The friend realised I needed help. Some friends and family members said there were certain indications. I had anger issues, felt desensitised, and isolated when I came home,' he said. Peter is urging others who have returned from the frontline to contact ONE for help. 'I was unaware and then somewhat reluctant,' he said. He was initially advised to contact a GP, but said it was extremely hard to relate military experiences to a "civilian" who has never experienced them. 'You get cut off from reality and 'civies' wouldn't have a clue what you went through,' he added. (not his real name*) 'They all say they want to return to the frontline' Audra Larkin, charity ONE's veteran support officer, aaid she was currently offering support to three former Defence Forces personnel who have returned home from fighting in Ukraine. Audra Larkin, who is one of six ONE veteran support officers based around the country, said she was currently offering support to three former Defence Forces personnel who have returned home from fighting in Ukraine. Ms Larkin told the Irish Examiner she was aware of another former soldier she supported in her role with the charity who has since returned to Ukraine to continue fighting invading Russian forces. Those who have served in Ukraine continuously talk about 'the buddies' they have left behind and feel guilty for leaving them, according to Ms Larkin. 'They have said they would all go back tomorrow. They are all open about this. We outline the risks and possible consequences of doing this, but there is an overwhelming camaraderie,' she said. Ms Larkin said one of the Defence Forces' veterans she helped to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder returned to Ukraine last January. He is only in his 20s. It is understood he lost one of his friends in the fighting and was determined to return, despite the obvious risks. 'He felt a deep commitment to his comrades. This person felt guilty not being with them. This is part of a soldier's mind,' she said. She said the soldiers' desire to return to the frontline comes despite the 'harrowing stories' about what's happening in the brutal war in Ukraine, which has been raging since the Russian invasion of February 2022. She also said the charity she works with, ONE, started to see the 'emergence' of returning Irish fighters from Ukraine seeking counselling support towards the end of last year. Ms Larkin said she knew from those she was currently helping that there are more ex-members of the Defence Forces who have fought in Ukraine but have not approached ONE for help. 'We are urging them to just reach out [to us]. They will receive professional help from staff who will deal with them in the strictest confidence,' she said. Ms Larkin said it was important former soldiers are able to seek help from people who have knowledge of the military, with military backgrounds, and who can operate with their "shared language". Ms Larkin, who has many years of experience within the Defence Forces, said her background was hugely important in helping her understanding of veterans' needs. 'I've been in the Defence Forces my whole life. I was born into the Defence Forces. I grew up in the Defence Forces." As well as serving oversees herself, she also worked in addiction services. She joined ONE from private practice, having gained experience there in helping combat veterans deal with post-traumatic stress. Irish who died fighting in Ukraine A number of Irish citizens have died while fighting for Ukraine. The list of fatalities includes a former member of the elite Army Ranger Wing (ARW)) who was killed on September 19 while fighting alongside Ukrainian Special Forces. Robert Deegan, from Co Kildare, was killed while fighting in Ukraine. Robert Deegan was 29 and from Newbridge, Co Kildare. He had joined the fight shortly after the 2022 Russian invasion. He lost an eye while serving with Ukraine's Special Forces Unit that year. His injury was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) but once he recovered, he went back to fight alongside his Ukrainian comrades — going against advice from some family and friends. He was said to be 'laser-focused' on returning to Ukraine and 'deeply committed' to the Ukrainian cause. The highly-skilled soldier had served not only in the much-vaunted Ranger Wing, but was also involved in the Engineers Unit of the Defence Forces Training Centre. After his death, his family released a statement saying he died 'like a warrior', protecting his comrades and he had made "the ultimate sacrifice while staying true to his principles and character'. On the day he died he continued to fight on in the face of a Russian onslaught in order to provide cover for his colleagues' retreat. As a younger man, he was a champion cyclist who represented Ireland, and some of his family are understood to have had a long history of service with the Defence Forces. In December 2023, dual Irish-American citizen Graham Dale, aged 45, originally from Raheny in North Dublin, was killed while fighting for the Ukrainians. He had previously fought with the US Marines in Iraq and moved permanently to Dublin in 2020. Dale had joined the US Marines following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Finbar Cafferkey, from Achill, Co Mayo, was killed while battling Russian forces near the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk Oblas in April 2023. Finbar Cafferkey, aged 46, from Achill, Co Mayo, was killed while battling Russian forces near the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk Oblas in April 2023. Part of the Shell to Sea campiagn in the 2000s, he had previous combat experience in Syria helping Kurdish militia fight Islamic State insurgents. Rory Mason, 23, from Dunboyne, Co Meath, died while fighting for Ukraine's International Legion in the Kharkiv region near the Russian border in October 2022. Irish man Rory Mason was killed in action in Ukraine. His father, Rob, told the BBC: "Though we are deeply saddened at his death, we are enormously proud of his courage and determination and his selflessness in immediately enlisting to support Ukraine." "Rory was never political but he had a deep sense of right and wrong and an inability to turn the other way in the face of injustice. "Those who fought alongside Rory speak of a truly brave and courageous man who could have left at any time but chose not to. In August 2024, Alex Ryzhuk, aged 20, from Rathmines, Dublin — a drone operator — was also killed fighting for the Ukrainians. The youngest of the Irish to die fighting in Ukraine, he was born in Dublin to Ukrainian parents. News about rape and torture by Russian troops in the Ukrainian city Bucha in April 2022, as well as the deaths of relatives and friends fighting in the war are understood to what motivated Alex to leave Dublin and travel to the frontlines early in 2023.
