Letters: Natasha O’Brien case shows that women in this country are not protected

It was hard to read about the incident in which Crotty knocked Ms O’Brien unconscious in a brutal, savage and unprovoked attack and boasted about it online afterwards.

As the repercussions from this case are felt, the first thing that needs to happen is for the Director of Public Prosecution to appeal the leniency of the penalty – it was very lenient under the circumstances.

The law allows a sentence of five years, or even 10, if convicted of causing serious injury.

Our Constitution also allows for the removal of judges of the higher courts for stated misbehaviour or incapacity if the Dáil and Seanad pass resolutions to that effect.

The word higher court makes it ambiguous, though, so it may require a change in the Constitution to say “any court” and add “incompetence” to the phrase.

The judge who heard the case, Judge Tom O’Donnell, should be asked to retire as his judgment in this case was atrocious. It provides no protection for women and it will certainly not discourage similar thuggish acts.

John Fair, Castlebar, Co Mayo

Travel chaos could bring some brief respite to those people on housing lists

Apparently, many foreign travellers are already cancelling their holiday cottage bookings in Ireland due to potential travel disruption. Perhaps homeless people and people on the housing list will now have an opportunity to own their own homes – for a fortnight.

Eugene Tannam, Firhouse, Dublin 24

Green Party leadership contenders need to take stance on hare coursing

In the Greens’ leadership race I hope the contenders will not forget the party’s commitment to the abolition of blood sports. An attempt to have a ban on hare coursing included in the Programme for Government was scuppered by the party’s two Coalition partners, but there’s always a next time.

Opposition to the evil practice of pitting animals against each other for fun ought to be as important to the party as the quest to reduce the size of the hole in the ozone layer or to save the increasingly besieged polar bears.

At the very least both candidates should make it clear that they won’t abandon efforts to protect the Irish hare, one of our few indigenous mammals, from an activity that had no place in the 18th century, let alone this one.

Thousands of hares are rounded up each year to have dogs set on them. Fans watch as the gentle creatures dodge and swerve to avoid getting mauled, crushed into the ground or flung skyward like broken toys.

The fact that this “rural pastime” continues with the blessing of a government that includes the Greens is a stain on the entire Irish branch of a great global eco-movement.

So, how about a clear pledge from Roderic O’Gorman and Pippa Hackett that an animal baiting ban will be a red-line issue after the next election – that the fox and the hare will not once again be thrown to the dogs amid the hue and cry of our political blood sport.

John Fitzgerald, Callan, Co Kilkenny

Why viewers should not be subjected to TV shows that aim to sell products

The well-known former Met Éireann TV weather forecaster, Gerald Fleming, was on RTÉ radio recently when he was asked by a listener about whether or not he sometimes used to wink an eye during some of his TV forecasts.

But the reason as to why members of the public should recall such a small and inconsequential thing after many years is probably because TV viewers actually want more than to just be passive receptors of facts, figures and programmes advertising rich lifestyles which may well be way outside of their reach.

Deep down, in their hearts, minds and souls, viewers want to be moved by something deeply human.

Otherwise, I believe, small residues of resentment can build up quietly in the subconsciousness of many passive viewers and then negative emotions may be unleashed later on.

Because TV programmes have the potential to reach into most homes in Ireland, they also have the potential to improve the mental health of the general public. Most importantly they can improve the mental health of the most vulnerable of viewers who happen to be trapped in unhappy relationships or in other difficult types of situations.

However, most TV programmes these days are, sadly, mainly produced to sell things like expensive cars and lavish holidays to those who can afford them.

Such well-off people can also easily decide upon a whim not to watch TV at all for a whole evening if they simply don’t happen to like what is on, and can then choose to go for a night out instead.

But people who struggle in their lives and who are confined inside their homes can often find themselves with little choice but to watch lavish lifestyle programmes which are outside of what they can pay for and which can make them feel down afterwards.

Sean O’Brien, Kilrush, Co Clare

Ryan will be remembered for farting cows, O’Leary ‘s legacy has far more to it than hot air

It’s fashionable to suppose that somehow Ryanair chief executive officer Michael O’Leary is out of order because he justifiably criticised Transport Minister and soon-to-be former Green Party leader Eamon Ryan.

The one thing Ryan was good for was wasting taxpayers’ money over many years with crackpot policies – crippling the freedom of motorists comes to mind – while O’Leary consistently gives Ireland the freedom to fly far beyond the dreams of our youth.

I know who I am grateful to for improving our quality of life with his patriotic business sense.

A begrudging Eamon Ryan could do little more than rustle up a few putdowns while O’Leary has always shown his own expertise, something Ryan lacked and never matched in all his wasted years in politics talking about farting cows.

Now that Ryan is departing the world of politics, we should remember that the Ryanair boss is the one who will not be forgotten for his positivity and generous service to the Irish people.

Robert Sullivan, Bantry, Co Cork