It is disheartening as we mark World Refugee Day on Monday that the number of people forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence, and climate change has passed the 100 million threshold for the first time since record-keeping began. This means one in every 78 people on earth has been uprooted — a shameful milestone that few would have expected a decade ago.
Everyone has the right to live peacefully at home, no matter who they are or where they come from. No one chooses to give up their lives and start again in a new and often strange and unfamiliar environment. No one chooses for their children to lose out on years of schooling or their newborn to have no legal identity.
Those displaced include millions of Ukrainians forced to flee their homes since the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February; the many millions of Syrians who have been uprooted since the conflict started there 11 years ago and hundreds of thousands in the Horn of Africa currently on the move due to climate change-induced hunger which is threatening the lives of 23 million people. The total number of people forced to flee from their homes now equals 20 times the population of Ireland. The vast majority of people who are displaced are given shelter as close to home as possible. Historically, over 80% of displaced people are hosted in countries in the Global South. A very small proportion come to our shores to seek protection.
Providing shelter and protection is a matter of global solidarity. People on the move are our fellow human beings. There must be a humane response to all who are forced to leave their homes. The international community must ensure safe pathways, dignified reception, and integration support for all people seeking refuge, regardless of their country of origin.
The unprecedented response and immediate solidarity shown towards those fleeing the war in Ukraine inspires hope that when there is political will, incredible efforts can be made to facilitate access to protection and support.
For the past twenty years, June 20 has been an opportunity for the global community to recognise and honour the strength, struggles, and resilience of refugees. But World Refugee Day must be more than words. It must be a catalyst for urgent action to address the rights of people forced to flee.
Caoimhe de Barra
CEO Trócaire
MaynoothCo Kildare
Stop meddling in the economy
I am writing in regard to Fergus Finlay's article on the cost of living.
While your article was interesting, I found it to be very revealing of what is a very European, dare I say mercantilist, viewpoint on the economy.
It focuses entirely on the Government and its actions in organising the struggle against inflation.
The Government, however, is a blunt instrument that does not ever create any value and more often than not is destructive of value created by the private sector.
If the Government really wants to tackle inflation, then let it step out of our way. Let it quit rifling through our pockets with the left hand while giving back half of what it took with the right and wasting the other half along the way.
For example, cutting taxes on petrol and diesel would have an enormous and immediate impact on inflation by reducing shipping, heating, and electricity costs, as well as alleviating the pain felt by millions of Irish families at the pump.
Why not cut Vat, this most unfair of taxes?
Everywhere we turn, we are beset with taxes. If the Government truly wished to relieve price pressures, it would start by trimming down and cutting taxes.
Ultimately, we all know better what to do with our money than the Government. Let it focus on the areas of legitimate governmental action — ie justice, sovereignty, keeping the peace — and let it abandon its meddling in the economy, especially at a time when the main lever of action on inflation is in the hands of the ECB.
A government that truly trusts the people it serves should have the clarity of vision and true leadership qualities to recognise that “doing something” is sometimes the worst path to follow.
Tom Ferron
Kenmare
Co Kerry
State land lies empty during housing crisis
The last time there was a national emergency declared in this country it was during the Second World War. I think it’s high time to declare another — and that is our housing crisis. The slowness of our politicians to deal with this national problem is infuriating. I’m sure most of us could point to land suitable for development that is held or partly held by Government agencies, and I include Nama in this.
I’m a resident in Douglas, Cork City, and there is such a site within circa 500m of my home. This land is the old Nemo GAA sports ground and the adjoining field.
I am guessing at the size, but I would say the two fields combined would make up in the region of eight acres. Planning permission for the Nemo section of this was refused pre-2010.
The then developer, to create proper access, would have had to purchase two suburban roadside cottages directly opposite the entrance to Belair Park on the Douglas Road. However, the planning permission was refused as an objector claimed the cottages were “of architectural interest”.
There the site still stands.
Desmond Murphy
Douglas Rd
Cork
Government must rapidly build homes
Successive Irish governments since the 1970s have failed to adequately invest in public housing.
The result is now there for all to see — we have a shortage of accommodation; high, almost unaffordable house prices; skyrocketing rental properties out of the reach of most; homelessness, and regular street deaths.
Meanwhile, the rich and powerful go from strength to strength, principally on the backs of the less well off. It is an absolute disgrace.
The Government must, without delay, rapidly begin an enormous public housing build and apologise to the people of Ireland for their utter criminal neglect of the less well off in Ireland.
Jimmy Cummins
Busselton
Western Australia
Politicians need to hear home truths
There has been criticism from some politicians on the recent comments of President Michael D Higgins in relation to housing.
Personally I believe it is high time that politicians and senior civil servants were told the truth.
Our health service has been a disaster for decades.
Waiting lists are at extremely high levels by any standards and children in this country, particular children with additional needs, are not supported.
However, politicians and senior civil servants are still not held accountable or responsible.
Michael A Moriarty
Rochestown
Cork
Hospitality sector should lose Vat cut
Having contemplated a ‘staycation’ for later in the summer, I have two observations to make.
I suggest that the hospitality sector does some internal soul searching and ‘stocktaking’ as to its failure in not being able to mobilise and maintain a workforce suitable to its needs, especially when the attractiveness of emigration is still snarled in Covid concerns.
Secondly, the Government must reverse its generous reduction in Vat (from 13.5% to 9%) — granted to the industry since November 1, 2020, and recently extended until March 1, 2023 — because of widespread evidence of astronomical charges being levied on the public, especially in terms of accommodation. Not alone is the industry failing to pass on a cent of this Vat reduction, it is in far too many instances squeezing the public for every cent it has.
Michael Gannon
St Thomas’ Square
Kilkenny
Dismay at ‘Ship Pool’ safety measures
I am writing to express my dismay at the proposed plans to undertake serious groundworks on an area of road that winds through the precious and rare native ecosystems of ‘The Ship Pool’ area.
The proposed plan to straighten the road and demolish 300m of rock face would, in my opinion, completely destroy the natural beauty as well as damage the ecological value of the of the area.
It is only when we see this being done that we feel the pain that comes with losing something precious to us.
At a time when areas of significant ecological value should be safeguarded and expanded, it is utter madness to suggest bulldozing a part of one of these areas.
I would like to see an independent survey carried out to assess the nature value of the area and the damage that will be caused by heavy machinery, as well as other options to make the road safer without destroying something beautiful.
We can streamline and straighten every road in Ireland and be left with a very dull country.
Páschal Thompson
Model Farm Rd
Cork
Sports letters page
Could we have a letters page, or even half a page, dedicated solely to sport please.
RTÉ has a popular sport-oriented phone-in/text in slot on Mondays but no Irish newspaper offers a similar letters page facility.
There’s a huge interest in sport, with many people looking to air their views or perhaps looking for an opportunity to attack the views of others. So how about it?
Bill Power
Tramore
Co Waterford
Referendum to end Brexit disaster
There is nothing sacred about Brexit. It is an idea that Boris Johnson came up with. It was put to a referendum in the UK and passed by a narrow margin. However, now that we have seen it in practice it has been somewhat of a disaster but there is no reason why another referendum might not be held on the question of bringing Brexit to an end and applying to rejoin the EU.
Brendan Casserly
Bishopstown
Cork
