Ireland holds the presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC) this month, presenting us with a critical opportunity to put our stamp on international relations and to fight for global peace and justice.
The lives of millions of people are affected by decisions taken in the UNSC chamber and, as chair, Ireland will be responsible for steering a politically divided council to
decisions that protect life, prevent human rights violations, and help resolve conflict.
The current issues on the Security Council agenda could not be more important and Trócaire sees five clear areas of priority.
Foremost are complex crises in countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Myanmar, which will require bespoke responses and ultimately, inclusive political settlements. Ireland needs to ensure that UNSC members take the strongest possible action to ensure the protection of civilians during conflict and those who bring those civilians humanitarian aid.
Secondly is the issue of the illegal occupation by Israel of Palestinian land, one of the world’s longest-running violations of international humanitarian law. The UN Secretary-General will report on the implementation of Resolution 2334 (2016), in which the UNSC reiterated its demand that Israel cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. Ireland will chair a debate on this resolution and will have the opportunity to take a strong human rights-based stance on the need for its implementation.
Thirdly, climate change remains the biggest challenge facing humanity and this month Ireland must work to get the UNSC members to adopt a strong human rights-based resolution on the need to prevent and mitigate climate change as a matter of international peace, security, and justice.
Fourthly, women and girls are particularly at risk of violence in conflict and post-conflict situations, whilst being excluded from decision-making and peace negotiations. As chair, Ireland has the opportunity throughout all the meetings during its presidency to continue to highlight women, peace and security, asserting principles of gender equality, and human rights.
Finally, as chair, Ireland must champion the importance of protecting civil society space, including the protection of human rights defenders. Ireland should advocate for freedom of association, assembly, and speech — especially for women.
As Ireland takes centre stage on the global political stage this month, we look forward to seeing leadership and clear actions as we play our part in helping to build a better world.
Caoimhe de Barra
CEO, Trócaire
Maynooth
Co Kildare
Bridge-building with the Taliban
The emphasis on how to get people out of Afghanistan is mistaken. It
is predicated on the assumption that the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan by mainly US and UK troops is both desirable and justifiable.
Could we say the same thing about the Russian occupation?
Even Pope Francis this week expressed reservations about attempts to impose particular forms of democracy on countries.
The emphasis should be on bridge-building with the Taliban and establishing a humanitarian corridor to deliver relief supplies to the third of the Afghan population currently suffering from food shortages and avoid
setting up squalid refugee camps which will feed the flow of migrants across Europe. Collaboration in a new form of state-building will be required.
Joseph Mullen
Ballina
Co Mayo
Put heads together for government plans
If the Housing for All plan succeeds we’ll have an additional 300,000 homes by 2030.
If the Climate Action Plan succeeds, we’ll have deep retrofitted 500,000 homes, also by 2030.
With a record 84,000 CAO applicants for college places who is going to do all this work? Fifteen per cent of this year’s Leaving Cert students achieved a H1 in higher-level maths. Perhaps some of them could calculate the resources required to achieve the Government’s plans and suggest where they might be housed.
Joe Dunne
Shanakiel
Cork
Look after yourself for the health service
With regard to the article ‘Winter crisis looming due to ‘extremely dangerous’ overcrowding’, (Irish Examiner, online, September 1).
It is very simple: The only way to deal with this is to look after yourself and thereby avoid all possible contact with the health service.
Be safety conscious in everything you do: Eat well, sleep well, reduce stress, maintain a healthy weight, exercise, socialise safely, moderate your drinking, and avoid unhealthy foods. If you have chronic illness take great care to manage it well.
If we all did this, the stress on the health service would be greatly
reduced and the availability of care for those of us who have serious
illness would be much better.
We think we should be able to eat any old garbage and let the doctors deal with the consequences. We have become a nation who feel entitled to the best healthcare regardless of our own behaviour in preserving our health. It just doesn’t work like that. Our own behaviour, in most cases, holds the key to health and longevity. Leave the health service for those who desperately need it because the cause of their illness is beyond their own control.
Ger B Logan
Galway
Vaccinations are not a personal choice
It is beyond belief that some people are still against vaccinations for Covid-19. Have they not learned anything at this late stage?
We now have a pandemic of unvaccinated people. They may say that it is their own lives and therefore their own business, but it’s not. They may infect other people and be responsible for their deaths.
The innocent must be protected.
Bernard Naughton
Farranree
Cork
Scheme helps with contraception cost
The article ‘Abortion is free but contraception is still out of reach for some’ states “A LARC [long-acting reversible contraceptives] costs between €300 and €500, and lasts for three to 10 years... If a woman opted for a five-year LARC, she would typically pay no more than €500 for a far more effective method of contraception. However, the upfront cost of a LARC to the pharmacy and the physician’s fee is out of the financial reach of many women. This is particularly the case for women under 25 who have very little disposable income.”
The article fails to mention that LARCs such as the Mirena IUD are covered under the Drugs Payment Scheme. This would mean, at present, a payment to the pharmacy of a maximum of €114. While still a monetary barrier to many, this may be helpful information to readers.
Jeanne Sutton
Roscrea
Tipperary
My nightmare of a hospital trolley crisis
On August 12, I attended the renal unit in University Hospital Limerick with a pain in my stomach. It was more out of precaution as I do peritoneal dialysis at home. I thought this would be sorted in a few hours.
The doctor in charge wished to investigate it, therefore I had to be admitted via the emergency department (ED). I was thinking this would be a formality. To my horror I ended up on a trolley for 22 hours — from 8pm on Thursday to Friday at 6pm. I’ve heard stories about people on trolleys for 72-plus hours. I had no indication or timeline of when I would get a bed. The ED was like a warzone, with trolleys head to toe, with up to 60 patients, I estimated.
I have been a patient in seven hospitals in Ireland as I have had a significant condition over a period of 52 years. I never had to go in via ED. I had little or no sleep and many of us had to share one toilet.
There was neither dignity nor privacy and my fear of Covid was heightened. I know both nurses and doctors do their very best.
It is time the HSE and Health Minister Donnelly sorted out this mess.
Dermot Hayes
Ennis
Co Clare
Home sought for Mayfield Men’s Shed
Mayfield Men’s Shed are crying out for help to get their own place.
I am not a member but I know of all the work they carried out for the community and they are always willing to help the community. Come on, people of Mayfield, get behind these men and help them. If not, this great group of men will have no other choice but to dissolve the Mayfield Men’s Shed.
John O’Brien
Mayfield
Cork
You win some ... you lose some
The Irish Examiner showed its true (Cork) colours in a recent editorial ‘Golden inspiration’ (August 28).
Three athletes — all from Cork — were named in the short article for inspiring and bringing great joy to the country. You failed to mention the Olympic medalists from Dublin and Galway who did the same.
Dara Bradley
Raleigh Row
Galway City
Editor’s response:
Dear Dara, Happily for all of us, we couldn’t list all of our Olympic and Paralympic heroes, medal winners or not, into the three-paragraph editorial to which you refer.
However, we have featured athletes from across Ireland — including Belfast, Dublin, Galway, Louth, Newry, Derry, Offaly, and Wexford — on our front pages and in profile in print and online over the course of the Games.
Our athletes made us proud and lifted our spirits. Whether they hail from the Banks, the Boyne, or the Bann, wherever they call home, we salute them.
Tom Fitzpatrick
Editor, Irish Examiner
Picnic and pints ... a Covid disaster
If Electric Picnic had gone ahead, we might all have been in lockdown for Christmas.
We must forget all activities where irresponsible drinking and mixing takes place. Let’s hold tight until we turn the spring of 2022.
Joan Pollard
Carew
Co Kerry
