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The dangers of groupthink

Sir, – Breda O’Brien posed a number of important questions about citizens’ assemblies (“Do citizens’ assemblies offer the public a stake or just more liberal groupthink?”, Opinion & Analysis, June 25th).

How can 99 citizens “chosen randomly” reading endless reports and listening to chosen experts encompass the views of about five million people in a functioning democracy?

Will this type of process lead to politicians accepting without question what they are presented with, rather than listening to the views of the general public?

– Yours, etc,

ALICE LEAHY,

Director of Services,

Alice Leahy Trust,

Link: https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/2023/06/27/the-dangers-of-groupthink/

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Cars and getting from A to B

Sir, – Michael McDowell writes: “There seems to be a vogue for condemning everyone who doesn’t share your opinion as being morally reprehensible”.

While focusing on the issue of cars, it’s worth noting that this too could be said about many issues in today’s society and has been noticeable for some time. This doesn’t make for the healthy debate that is now more important than ever and devalues our democracy. – Yours, etc,

ALICE LEAHY,

Director of Services,

Alice Leahy Trust,

Dublin 8.

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No face to public services

Online services are no substitute

Sir, – Accessing public services is now almost impossible right across the board. This has been helped by the convenient excuses of the pandemic which has been used to downgrade services rather than upgrade them. It is the norm now when asked to transfer a call to be told, “I can’t, I am working from home.”

The first requirement of someone who finds themselves homeless now appears to be the possession of a mobile phone, and the internet to access services.

It is high time that someone in a position of responsibility defines what we now mean by “public services”. – Yours, etc,

ALICE LEAHY,

Director of Services,

Alice Leahy Trust,

Dublin 8.

 

Link

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Funding public showers

Council has made money available

Sir, – Alice Leahy (Letters, June 11th) is correct about the need for city centre public showers and toilets and that she circulated those proposals to Dublin City Councillors on several occasions.

She is also correct in saying that action should have been taken on these and that Dublin deserves better.

What may not be known is that Dublin City Councillors have at least twice voted for the introduction of such facilities and provided the initial funding in the city budget.

The fact that they have not been delivered is down solely to our system of local government with huge powers resting with the executive.

This is the deliberate policy of both the permanent and temporary governments. What I cannot understand however is the complicit behaviour of the vast majority of media in Ireland which protects and implicitly defends the disastrous role of the Department of Housing and Local Government in our country.

From my experience in nearly 30 years as a public representative is that huge swathes of Ireland’s problems – starting with housing, planning and local government – all lead back to the Custom House [Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage].

– Yours, etc,

Cllr DERMOT LACEY

Donnybrook,

Dublin 4.