I listened with mounting anger to Leo Varadkar telling the nation that it was “unacceptable” that people should have to spend hours or even overnight on a trolley in hospital.
When did it become “unacceptable”? When it reached 500 or 600 or was it only when it reached over 900? Why wasn’t he outraged last year, or five years ago?
Why does it come as a surprise that we have a problem every winter in our hospitals?
The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing every time and expect a different outcome.
Our politicians should bow their heads in shame. They continually prove their incompetence to run a country. If they were in private industry, they would be gone long ago.
As parents, we teach our children to be honest, tell the truth and face the consequences.
Why does this not apply to our political leaders? You would expect that they should be held accountable to a higher standard, but no. They adopt the Bart Simpson defence: It wasn’t me, you can’t prove it.
People must wake up and recognise incompetence for what it is and do something about it: Hold our politicians accountable. Only by changing can we expect a different outcome.
Michael Kelleher
Cobh
Co Cork
Design of NI protocol fundamentally flawed
The central problem with the Northern Ireland protocol is not that it is
“too strict”, as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar suggests, but that its design is fundamentally flawed.
It is perfectly reasonable for Mr Varadkar to insist that the European single market must be protected from non-compliant goods entering across the open land border, but in that case he should be demanding controls on that flow of goods from Northern Ireland into the Republic, not on the flow of goods from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.
From a legal standpoint it would only need UK trade secretary Kemi Badenoch to get an Order under Section 12 of the Export Control Act 2002 passed by both of Britain’s Houses of Parliament and she could soon establish a licensing system to control those goods crossing the border, and so give the single market protection not just from any unsuitable goods which might be brought into Northern Ireland from outside but also from any which might be produced within the province.
Rational UK export controls must be the sensible way forward, not tinkering with the present irrational EU import controls, and the EU Commission should be prepared to amend the text of the protocol accordingly.
Dr DR Cooper
Maidenhead
Berkshire
England
Ireland is a neutral country in name only
We are at the stage where declaring Eire as being a neutral country is meaningless.
Whether it’s allowing US military war planes and personnel to land at our airports or sending our own troops to instruct warring armies in foreign places with the expertise to better carry out duties, we are “neutral” in name only.
Our top political leaders consistently play down the peacekeeping role we were initially only meant to portray, and with regular partisan statements, take sides in world/European conflicts, all the time.
Going by the trusted consistent national polls regarding our neutrality in its true sense there are numerous calls for our vital stance to be made law.
This will only happen and be acted upon by way of deeds and genuine aspirations by the citizens, on being given the right of referendum to enshrine the nobility of real neutrality being written into our Constitution.
Our political leadership is shamefully in passive tandem with NATO/EU/US military alliances where ever their tentacles spread.
There is nothing courageous, constructive, or even sensible about senior Irish politicians telling the Irish people who are the enemies of this State, because nuclear-weapons laden western powers tell us this is how we must be.This has to change.
Now that Leo Varadkar in back in control, could he be the man to gives us this pressing referendum.
Robert Sullivan
Bantry
Co Cork
Israel must be held accountable
The new far right Israeli government has set out its guiding principles with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring: “The Jewish people have an exclusive and unchallengeable right over the entire land of Israel.”
They are making a statement of intent to commit war crimes by building yet more illegal settlements, and it is unacceptable that the international community, including Ireland, still refuses to sanction that state.
How can the Irish government continue to deny the brutal reality? When will it accept the evidence, the decades of testimony of Palestinians, the forensic reports from respected NGOs B’Tselem, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and UN Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk, affirming that Israel is practising the crime of apartheid against the Palestinian people?
Last year was the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank since 2005 with at least 222 people killed by Israel.
Israel has killed two children and a young man this year already.
The Irish government can wring its hands meaninglessly or show real leadership by enacting the Occupied Territories Bill and insisting on accountability for Israel. Nobody can say they didn’t know.
Zoë Lawlor,
Coordinator
Gaza Action Ireland
Remove legal barriers to nuclear on the grid
It is irresponsible to ignore the possibility/probability that we will miss our 70% renewable electricity, now a legal target, by 2030 — raised to 80% by Eamon Ryan.
We now have John Power, Engineers Ireland president, suggesting it is perhaps time to reopen a discussion on nuclear energy in an “informed, mature and balanced manner”.
We also have the call by two Meath councillors for a serious conversation about the need for nuclear energy in Ireland leading to Meath County Council passing a motion to amend the Electricity Regulation Act — this motion will go to all local authorities.
At the very least, in an increasingly deteriorating energy situation, there should be a government-led, countrywide, consideration of nuclear energy and removal of the two legal barriers to nuclear on the grid.
Anne Baily (Dr)
Carrick-on-Suir
Co Tipperary
GAA could honour famous soccer player
As a tribute to Pelé, perhaps the GAA might rename one of their grounds ... Sempelé Stadium?
Tom Gilsenan
Beaumont
Dublin 9
Apocalyptic A&Es despite modernisation
Were A&E departments all over the country in such a state of chaos when they were run by various religious orders? We now have massive expenditure on health, vastly increased staff numbers, modernised buildings, and newer methodologies.
Result: Apocalyptic with people close to death on trolleys.
Aileen Hooper
Stoneybatter
Dublin
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