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Irish Examiner
26-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Letters to the Editor: Climate action — we need to move from rhetoric to action
We're going to be hearing a lot about 'just transition' in the coming months. At week two of the UN Bonn climate talks, which will shape the road to the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil, governments are starting to engage with the idea of a just transition. This is to be welcomed. The climate crisis is no longer a distant threat, but a burning reality for millions. Yet, the climate burden continues to fall unfairly on the world's poorest communities and those who have contributed least to global emissions and climate change. A just transition will ensure that the shift to a low carbon economy is fair, inclusive, and delivers job security and affordable food and energy access to the most vulnerable. But it also means rich nations stepping up with grants-based finance to support communities and countries most affected by climate meltdown, countries burdened by debt and denied climate finance. It also means a commitment to a serious shift away from fossil fuels. While the level of fossil fuel finance had been declining since 2021, last year saw two thirds of banks increasing their financing by a combined $162bn — a period when the world experienced its hottest year since records began. Ireland is shamefully playing its part in fossil fuel financing. A recent report by ActionAid Ireland and Trócaire revealed that, as of June 2024, an astonishing €3bn in fossil fuel investments were held by Irish-based financial institutions. Even more disturbing, 91% of that investment is tied to companies actively expanding fossil fuel operations in direct defiance of international scientific consensus on the need to limit global warming to 1.5C. Without a clear agreement on just transition at Cop30, the energy transition risks deepening inequality and further destabilising fragile economies. But a just transition framework, backed by funding, strong labour protections, and international co-operation, can turn this challenge into an opportunity for shared prosperity and resilience. It was encouraging to read Ali Sheridan, the chair of Ireland's Just Transition Commission, an independent advisory body established by the Government last year, affirm recently that it's essential any climate action must be fair for all. The world must move beyond rhetoric to action. A fair climate future must work for everyone, not just the privileged few. Karol Balfe, CEO, ActionAid Ireland, Dublin Criticism towards IHCA unwarranted Sarah Harte asserted in her piece ('The Gaza catastrophe is testing Ireland's conscience – and its credibility', June 11) that the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has taken a position of 'deafening silence in calling out genocide' in relation to Israel's systematic campaign of violence in Gaza. Such criticism is completely unwarranted. The IHCA has issued five statements since the beginning of 2024, condemning the unlawful destruction of hospital infrastructure and subsequent targeting of healthcare practitioners by the Israeli military. We are unequivocal in stating that the actions of the Netanyahu government and Israeli Defence Forces equate to crimes that contravene international law; accordingly, the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant. We agree with the Government's assessment that these crimes against humanity include a genocide against the Palestinian people. In tandem with these repeated statements, I wrote for The Medical Independent a piece entitled 'We cannot be bystanders to genocide' (May 12, 2024), long before any Western government named it as such. In my first public address as president of the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association, I called for an end to the 'targeting of medical staff and hospital infrastructure in plain sight'. Several of our members are working on the frontline in Gaza hospitals, coming under live fire. We cannot be silent when it is these colleagues, their patients, and our Palestinian peers facing these desperate circumstances every day. We will always defend the right of healthcare practitioners to deliver care without fear of death or violence, and for their patients to live healthy dignified lives, whether that be in Ukraine, the Middle East, or any other conflict. Gabrielle Colleran, President, Irish Hospital Consultants Association, Dublin 14 You are as old as how you feel 'You are as old as you are portrayed' may be true ( Editorial, Saturday 21), but what about hitting the dance floor well in to your 80s and 90es as reported by an international newspaper last week about a group of Belgian nursing home residents as they danced and jived to 'bass-heavy' music among their much younger counterparts at a nightclub in central Brussels? You are as old as how you feel and your attitude to doing new things. 'There's no real age limit for knowing how to party, ' says the manager of the nightclub where Papy Booom — a Belgian non-profit that aims to address loneliness among older people and create more opportunities for fun — held their night out. Bring it on I say! Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry Industry crying out for tradespeople I have spent 39 years in the construction business, 33 of them as a self-employed contractor. To me, the elephant in the room is the lack of tradesmen and also general operatives in this sector. When I started out in 1986, we spent our first year in Anco — a government-based training facility and Cork RTC, now MTU. It was a great grounding for green lads starting out. Unfortunately, now we are moving all our children into college because of their popularity and encouragement from secondary schools to encourage kids to go there. There is also a perception out there, from parents mainly, that the construction industry is beneath their child. It's OK for them to train as a engineer/architect/quantity surveyor or possibly some of the physically easier trades of electrical or plumbing. The reality is we are crying out for groundsman, carpenters, blocklayers, and plasterers — the latter two are not a dying trade and will become extinct in the next 10 years or less, which will stagnate the construction industry. What needs to happen is for the Government to financially incentivise builders and tradesmen to employ and train young people. What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here At the moment, tradesmen as a whole — there are exceptions — aren't interested in putting the time into training an apprentice. The Government also needs to hold the revenue received from the construction industry, and use it to reinvest in the sector when there is a downturn in the economy and invest in public buildings such as schools, libraries, and hospitals to get better value for money during those times. More importantly, it will keep our building workforce in jobs. This process would encourage young people to go into the sector for stability, and also make parents more content in seeing their child enter the sector. Finally, a strong advertising campaign is needed to get young people to join the industry. Working in the industry can be deeply satisfying, working with your hands and brain and getting a lot of satisfaction. If you are prepared to work hard, listen, and learn, there are great opportunities to earn a good living and become financially secure after a few years of working, compared to going to college and having massive financial outlays in the process and struggling financially in poorly paid jobs at the end of your four or five years of college. Stephen McGrath, Fermoy, Co Cork Landing big tax bill The Connacht Tribune recently reported the dismay of Mayo councillors at the €385,000 that their council must pay to Revenue for their unused residential zoned land. If a council with an annual budget of €213m for 2025 alone cannot make use of its lands, what hope is there for mere mortal private developers without the fairy god-exchequer to fund them and who have things like tax to deal with. Local authorities have cumulatively paid over €11m in residential zoned land tax (RZLT) — clearly, councils have land they are not making use of. Remember that they have deemed their own land ready and suitable for housing. The Land Development Agency is seeking powers to buy private land, but this is a distraction from the real land hoarding done by the many arms of the State itself. Politicians created the ridiculous RZLT. That they find their own councils on the receiving end is a most pleasing karma indeed. Alex Wilsdon, Dublin Rd, Kilkenny Read More Letters to the Editor: My mother had a happy experience of residential care
Irish Independent
28-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
‘It strips them of dignity' – more than 500m women across the world suffer due to period poverty, Irish charity says
ActionAid Ireland said today that millions of women, including hundreds of thousands in Gaza, lack access to safe menstrual products. The organisation added that this crisis fuels gender inequality and compromises women and girls' health and hygiene, forcing many to miss school, work, or social activities because they cannot afford menstrual care. Speaking ahead of World Menstrual Health Day tomorrow, ActionAid Ireland CEO, Karol Balfe, called for meaningful action in Ireland and abroad to tackle period poverty. She appealed for the universal provision of free menstrual hygiene products in schools, shelters, and public institutions to ensure that no girl or woman misses school or work due to lack of access. Ms Balfe added that this crisis is not 'just a health issue' but a 'gender equality issue' in Ireland and across the world. 'When women and girls cannot access safe, affordable menstrual products, it strips them of dignity and opportunity,' she said. She also highlighted the situation in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of women are unable to access period products. 'Hundreds of thousands of women in Gaza, on top of bombardments, air strikes and starvation, are suffering due to the fact they can't access menstrual products, soap and clean underwear during their periods. "The situation has been exacerbated following the aid blockade introduced by the Israeli Government on Gaza 12 weeks ago. 'Imagine being forced to miss school or work because you cannot afford a tampon or menstrual pad. Imagine bleeding through newspaper or rags because there's nothing else when you have your monthly period. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more "Now imagine doing this while living in Gaza, under constant bombardment, in a freezing cold tent, with no hygiene kits, clean underwear, safe water, soap, or access to a toilet,' she added. ActionAid Ireland is now appealing to governments, such as Ireland, to provide women and girls with period products and other essentials during humanitarian crises, and fund free period product initiatives in low and middle-income countries. The charity is also calling on governments and NGOs to support education on menstrual health and rights, counter stigma on this topic, and fund grassroots women-led organisations to educate communities about menstruation, fight period shaming, and abolish dangerous customs. 'Menstruation is not dangerous,' Ms Balfe continued. 'It's not dirty. It's not a curse. It's a natural part of life – yet it's menstruation that causes unimaginable suffering for millions of girls and women around the world.' "In some parts, traditions and norms persist that mean that girls and women are forced to isolate themselves during their menstruation. 'This type of isolation can lead to both physical and mental illness – and in the worst case, danger to life. "It is a clear example of how myths and stigma surrounding menstruation create serious consequences for girls' and women's health, safety and human rights,' the CEO added.
Irish Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
A famine unfolding in real time
Sir, – It has been two long, harrowing months since Israel reinstated a total siege on Gaza , blocking the entry of life-saving humanitarian aid and commercial goods into a region already devastated by war. This marks the longest period Israel has blocked all aid and goods from entering Gaza. With community kitchens – one of the last remaining lifelines in Gaza – now threatened with closure, the world is witnessing a man-made famine unfolding in real time. Desperation has reached unspeakable levels. Mothers are boiling grass to feed their families. Children are suffering unbearable hunger, trauma, violence and abandonment. Gaza's hospitals, already crippled, are close to collapse, unable to function without essential medicines, vaccines and equipment. Women, girls and other vulnerable groups face escalating risks of gender-based violence. Stocks in aid warehouses are nearly gone. Palestinian organisations continue to seek to supply desperate communities through local markets, but they are facing eye-watering prices. READ MORE Yet world leaders are distracted, it seems, while the ethnic cleansing and likely genocide of Palestinians rages on. As the UN secretary general António Guterres put it: 'Gaza is a killing field, and its civilians are in an endless death loop.' The weaponisation of aid, including withholding food, water, healthcare and shelter, has led to a surge in preventable deaths and threatens the dignity and survival of Palestinians in Gaza. This is a preventable atrocity. And it does nothing to address the horror of the remaining hostages and their families. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have intensified military operations in the occupied West Bank, severely disrupting humanitarian aid delivery there. This includes demolishing Palestinian homes, forcibly displacing approximately 40,000 people, and destroying critical infrastructure. World leaders must demand an immediate end to the blockade, and tough action must be taken against Israel and its shredding of international law. This brutal, illegal and devastating occupation of Palestinian territory and its people must end. The Irish Government must also play its part and honour its pre-election pledge to introduce the Occupied Territories Bill . This would show true leadership on one of the most devastating issues of our time. This is a moment of moral reckoning. – Yours, etc, KAROL BALFE, Chief executive, ActionAid Ireland, Dublin 1.
RTÉ News
03-05-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
'We have nothing to give them,' says aid worker in Gaza
Aid organisations operating in Gaza have warned that humanitarian efforts are on the verge of collapse, following two months of a total aid blockade by Israel. No food or medical supplies have entered Gaza since 2 March, and both international and local aid groups are running out of the few remaining resources, Amjad Rawwa, Executive Director of a Gaza-based Palestinian NGO network partnered with ActionAid Ireland, told RTÉ News. "Only one-tenth of community kitchens offering free food are still running. "They can provide people with just one dish of rice. There's no fresh food, no eggs, no milk - and no meat, for sure," he said. Without a resumption of humanitarian deliveries, those kitchens are expected to run out of food within days. Amid relentless bombardment, the daily search for water and food has become a desperate routine. "Each morning, one part of the family queues for water trucks, while others head to the community kitchens - waiting hours for a small portion of rice," Mr Rawwa said. Local markets offer little. Prices have soared, putting basic goods far beyond the reach of most families. A 25kg bag of flour now costs up to $350, while a kilo of tomatoes can fetch $15. "People have lost their income. They simply can't afford to buy anything. "I sometimes have to go to a community kitchen myself." The social and economic fabric of Gaza has been torn apart, Mr Rawwa added. Farms and food production facilities have been destroyed, leaving the enclave completely dependent on outside aid. "It's an engineered catastrophe," he added. Water access is also critically limited. Wells repaired during the ceasefire are now in evacuated areas, unreachable for many. No medical supplies have reached Gaza in the weeks of total blockade, with the lack of polio vaccines among the biggest fears for the aid groups. The few hospitals still functioning are overwhelmed, treating mostly those injured in airstrikes. The NGO network receives daily calls from residents pleading for insulin, heart medication and other life-saving treatments. "We have nothing to give them," Mr Rawwa said. Gaza also faces a mounting waste crisis threatening public health and hygiene. Waste collection systems have collapsed, and tonnes of rubbish now line the streets. Displaced families, forced to move repeatedly, are pitching tents amid the pollution. Mr Rawwa is calling for urgent international intervention to protect civilians - especially children. "They have big dreams. But if crossings aren't opened soon, I'm scared of what we'll see in the coming days." According to media reports, the United States, Israel and a new international foundation are close to agreeing a plan to resume humanitarian deliveries to Gaza, without them being controlled by Hamas.
Irish Examiner
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Letters to the Editor: Man-made famine unfolding in Gaza
It has now been two long, harrowing months since Israel reinstated a total siege on Gaza, blocking the entry of life-saving humanitarian aid and commercial goods into a region already devastated by war. This marks the longest period Israel has blocked all aid and goods from entering Gaza in history. With community kitchens — one of the last remaining lifelines in Gaza — now threatened with closure, the world is witnessing a man-made famine unfolding in real time. Desperation has reached unspeakable levels. Mothers are boiling grass to feed their families. Children are suffering unbearable hunger, trauma, violence, and abandonment. Gaza's hospitals, already crippled, are close to collapse, unable to function without essential medicines, vaccines, and equipment. Women, girls, and other vulnerable groups face escalating risks of gender-based violence. Stocks in aid warehouses are nearly gone. Palestinian organisations continue to seek to supply desperate communities through local markets, but they are facing eye-watering prices. Yet world leaders are distracted it seems, while the ethnic cleansing and likely genocide of Palestinians rages on. As the UN Secretary-General put it, Gaza is a killing field, and its civilians are trapped in an endless death loop. The weaponisation of aid, including withholding food, water, healthcare, and shelter, has led to a surge in preventable deaths and threatens the dignity and survival of Palestinians in Gaza. This is a preventable atrocity. And it does nothing to address the horror of the remaining hostages and their families. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have intensified military operations in the occupied West Bank, severely disrupting humanitarian aid delivery there. This includes demolishing Palestinian homes, forcibly displacing approximately 40,000 people, and destroying critical infrastructure. World leaders must demand an immediate end to the blockade, and tough action must be taken against Israel and its shredding of international law. Every hour of delay in restoring aid costs more lives. This brutal, illegal, and devastating occupation of Palestinian territory and its people must end. The Irish Government must also play its part; stop wavering, and honour its pre-election pledge to introduce the Occupied Territories Bill. This would show true leadership on one of the most devastating issues of our time. This is a moment of moral reckoning. A moment when the world must step up. Otherwise, history will not be kind. Karol Balfe, CEO ActionAid Ireland, Dublin Cork GPs condemn genocide of Palestinian people We the undersigned general practitioners of Cork, on April 29, 2025, wish to condemn the ongoing genocide being perpetrated on the Palestinian people by Israel, and call for the immediate expulsion of Israel from international medical organisations such as the World Health Organization and the World Medical Association. We demand that the Irish Medical Council, the Irish College of GPs, and the Irish colleges representing other specialties such as surgery, medicine, anaesthesiology, etc, echo this condemnation of Israel, and similarly call for its expulsion from the above organisations. Eugene Egan, Paul O'Keefe, Patrick Brady, Bob Townsend, Frank Hill, Nurua Zulifee, Jeremy Gibson, Patricia McMahon, Noelle O'Sullivan, Kate Marie Boyle, Adham Jaber, and Ken Harte, via email Increased military spending and price for peace Several recent public commentaries in the media and in the Irish Examinerhave made a compelling case for the increased military spending as the price of peace in Europe. This argument goes that Nato's presence and increased military expenditure may represent the price for peace and longer-term prosperity. To some extent, history supports this. The nuclear arms race between the US and USSR provides a classic example of such brinkmanship where the risk of collateral damage was so great that it acted as a deterrent to nuclear war. However, the reality is more complex than simple measures of military expenditure. During the 1990s, when average Nato military expenditure exceeded the 2% target, Europe experienced conflict in the Balkans. Neither did such spending deter Nato members from military interventions in third countries. What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here While it is true that military spending boosts economic growth through what is known as military Keynesianism, this spending is often capital-intensive and wasteful compared to other forms of investment. Analysing US military spending in the Vietnam War in the 1960s, the economist Leslie Fishman noted that because governments typically seek to keep their own military casualties low, military expenditure is necessarily much more capital-intensive than other sectors of the economy. This means that the current European efforts to repurpose industrial facilities for military purposes may lead to poor long-term returns. Moreover, the casualties from the US war efforts since the 1950 were of such magnitude that it made any cost-benefit analysis meaningless. On the other hand, Fishman noted that post-war initiatives such as the Marshall Plan had a high return for the US, keeping the Soviet Union at bay for relatively small outlays. Finally, military spending is often itself destabilising. US efforts to contain communist China during the 1950s and 1960s and its build-up of military capabilities in the Middle East have all contributed to current instability. Damian Tobin, Cork University Business School, University College Cork Women need more than 'a seat at the table' The original article from Dr Suzanne Crowe — 'Punishing those who speak out fails us all' ( Irish Examiner, April 23) and the responding letter from Aisling McNiffe — 'Speaking up for Ireland's voiceless' (May 1) — were both written as mothers. As yet another mother, I agree with both of them. I also am the parent of an adult with a disability, not one with the acute medical needs that Aisling's son has, but without the 24/7 supervisory care that I provide, my child would soon sink. The real underlying unaddressed issue here is one of 'power over', equity, and the undeniable fact that our current systems are systems of dominance, patriarchy, hierarchy, and therefore, control. Suzanne Crowe, president of the Irish Medical Council and consultant paediatric intensivist and anaesthesiologist. Picture: Moya Nolan They are systems of 'old' and not fit for purpose in this modern world that we live in — they need radical transformation. It's time to unlearn and rebuild new systems that genuinely serve the people as they are meant to. It's been said that women and girls are conditioned to believe success is 'a seat at the table'. It is my belief that we need a new table and one that women help build because 'equity is not about who's at the table, it's about who built it — what is served, and who benefits most'. Anne Lawlor, Lower Yellow Rd, Waterford Move World Cup final to facilitate All-Irelands The GAA president Jarlath Burns has, this week, confirmed that the All-Ireland finals will continue to be played in July in 2026, with the hurling final to be played on July 19, the same day as the soccer World Cup final in America. In these circumstances, An Taoiseach should, at the first available opportunity, make a request to US president Donald Trump to have the date of the World Cup final moved. The ace Micheál Martin holds in making this 'deal' with Mr Trump, is his ability to deploy every ounce of Irish blarney and native cunning in convincing Keir Starmer to have the 2028 British Open played at Trump's Turnberry golf course, which, it seems the US president is becoming obsessed about. Michael Gannon, Saint Thomas Sq, Kilkenny City Read More Letters to the Editor: Sporting conduct damages hurling
