April 2011

Madam, – In a free society, consenting people, in private and with no intention of broadcasting their remarks, are entitled to make disagreeable or unsavoury or offensive or wrong remarks. That is, there is no rule that obliges people to be nice or polite.

If, in a rush to appease a mob in a politically-correct frenzy, we undermine this most basic principle of freedom then that opens an appalling vista far worse than just causing offence to certain people. – Yours, etc,

INVESTIGATION: ONE OF the women at the centre of the Garda rape comments controversy has expressed a lack of confidence in the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission’s ability to investigate the gardaí involved and to sanction them.

Jerrie Ann Sullivan said more than 100 complaints have been made over the past two years about gardaí policing the anti-Shell protests in Mayo but none of the gardaí had been sanctioned.

TEACHER'S COMPLAINT: A NORTH Mayo school principal who was the subject of alleged derogatory remarks of a sexual nature made by a garda in 2006 has said she believes Taoiseach Enda Kenny should now intervene and “show leadership” on the Corrib gas dispute.

Bríd Ní Sheighin, principal of Scoil Náisiúnta Cheathrú Thaidgh (Carrowteigue), said she was on maternity leave and had given birth to her first child just four weeks before the alleged remarks were made about her to her husband.

GARDA COMMISSIONER Martin Callinan has apologised to the community of north Mayo for remarks made by gardaí based there during which they are alleged to have joked about raping and deporting a woman arrested at a protest against Shell’s Corrib gas pipeline.

Of the five Garda members at the centre of the case, four have now been transferred from Belmullet Garda station to Castlebar where they will perform administrative duties.

The fifth garda was already based in Castlebar but has now also been confined to administrative duties.