Editorial: Charge these pampered prisoners for riot
FEW law-abiding taxpayers will have sympathy for the 60 or so inmates at Cloverhill Prison who staged a disruptive protest at the jail yesterday.
A major security operation was launched in the wake of the incident, leading to the lock-down of the adjacent Wheatfield Prison and the deployment of extra prison officers to Cloverhill.
The operation also saw the diversion of fire services and ambulance personnel to the prison – services no doubt badly needed in other parts of the city.
All this for a group of inmates who enjoy, by any standards, the best of facilities while they are held on remand.
Prisoners at Cloverhill enjoy good food, top medical treatment, gym and entertainment facilities, all funded by the hard-pressed taxpayer. It’s difficult then to see what conditions they could protest about.
The ringleaders of yesterday’s disturbances should face charges. A message must be sent out that such chaos will not be tolerated.
Streets for kids plan is welcome
Proposals to block off a roadway in Dublin to make space for children to play is welcome.
Too often nowadays we read of surveys indicating that children are spending disproportionate amounts of time indoors, in front of screens.
With the exception of brief periods of PE at school some children get very little playtime outdoors.
This is not their parents’ fault. In our increasingly congested capital city parents are rightly concerned about their children playing in built-up areas close to busy roads.
The Dublin City Council plan would see parts of Donnycarney blocked off and given over to children to play.
This would be an excellent way of reclaiming the streets for youngsters and giving them a taste of street games that they parents and grandparents enjoyed.