There are limits to our generosity

I WAS rather bemused when Ireland’s generosity to charitable causes was lauded in a ‘Top 10 Things About Ireland in 2005,’ as broadcast over Christmas on RTÉ.

I say ‘bemused’ because it is our good selves who have decided we deserve the pat on the back.

While the response of some Irish people was typically generous, the nation’s net contribution to victims of the tsunami and Kashmir disasters amounted to the value of a very modest Christmas present each.

In the festive season just ended, an estimated €200m, or €48 per person, was spent on ‘unwanted gifts,’ which puts our response in a sobering context.

While Ireland is still among the better donors per capita worldwide to the victims of such disasters, we should not feel too smug about our ‘generosity.’

Seamus Lynch

Seaview

Portrane

Co Dublin