I refer to your editorial, ‘Politicians stepping back’ and Listowel’s Aoife Thornton’s decision to retire from politics with the expectation to be at all funerals one of her bugbears ( Irish Examiner, February 8).
I was at a big country funeral recently in the heart of Co Kerry. My connection to the deceased 85-year-old was through his daughter-in-law. Yet who was one of the first people to make their way up the small, intimate church to sympathise with the family after the priest had concluded the Mass, but none other than a popular TD?
Personally, I find it very insincere if not exploitative, but this gentleman, who hails a full 70km away, has made a habit out of attending such sad and poignant events far from the boundaries of their homebase.
Expectations are important. If a politician sets out their vision, views, and objectives on how to govern themselves and those of their constituents, there should be no reason for this “race to the top” to shake hands with a grieving family that they have no immediate connection with.
Aoife Thornton was a hard-working and personable politician in an area that has some hard-nosed, long-serving members of the opposite sex. She also delivered for her local community.
That’s more than can said for some of her counterparts.
Tom McElligott,Listowel,Co Kerry
Not too late to take action
To Leo Varadkar, Micheál Martin, and Eamon Ryan: It is shameful that you continue to allow the presence in Ireland of a representative of a state that is carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people.
Despite the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stating that Israel must refrain from genocide, it has continued to bomb the only place in Gaza where civilians huddle for shelter — in Rafah. The Israeli war crimes mount up on a daily basis. Famine is taking hold with more than half of the population of Gaza already starving. Israel is doing everything in its power to destroy the Palestinian people.
There is no safe place in Gaza. Every night the death toll rises. Meanwhile, the Irish Government refuses to join in the South African action at the ICJ. It talks of ceasefire while doing nothing to stop the genocide. Not only has it failed to expel the Israeli ambassador, but it allows the Ceann Comhairle to entertain her in the Dáil — the same Ceann Comhairle making it very clear where his sympathies lie.
It is not too late to take action to both expel the Israeli ambassador and to support South Africa or make our own referral to the ICJ.
This is an election year. If supporters of the Palestinian people continue to be ignored by our leaders, we will actively canvass and call on the electorate to reject all of the Government parties at the ballot box.
Olivia O’Sullivan,Press Officer,Cobh Palestine Solidarity
A chance to show morality
Every year on St Patrick’s Day, the Taoiseach delivers a bowl of shamrock to the White House. However this year, instead of cosying up to Joe Biden, our Government can show him up for backing Netanyahu’s horrific war on the people of Gaza.
Since October, we’ve watched in horror as the Israeli government has unleashed hell on the Palestinian people. They’ve killed more than 27,000 people, and thousands more have been left with life-altering injuries.
Biden has sent warplanes, warships, and billions of dollars in military aid to Israel which are used in this ongoing genocide of defenceless Palestinians.
With elections on both sides of the Atlantic, Leo Varadkar and Joe Biden would hope to get lots of media hits from the visit to the White House — while brushing under the carpet the horrific death and destruction happening in Palestine.
Joe Biden loves to play the Irish card with American voters and he would be embarrassed if Leo Varadkar didn’t show up to the White House on St Patrick’s Day with the bowl of shamrock.
This year it would take on a greater significance with our elected leader appearing to condone the genocide in going to the White House.
Daniel Teegan,Union Hall,Co Cork
Full picture not in view
Is it because of Palestine’s untapped oil and gas resources that the present Israeli government continues to pursue control over Gaza’s sovereignty?
I ask this because of a study entitled ‘The Economic Cost of Occupation for the Palestinian people: The Unrealised Oil and Natural Gas Potential’ issued by UNCTAD, which is part of the UN Secretariat, reporting to the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. This report was issued in August 2019 and it stated clearly that Palestine has “unrealised oil and gas reserves which could generate about $524bn for development both in Gaza and the West Bank”.
It would appear that the Israeli government is seeking to consolidate sovereignty rights over Gaza in Palestine as, according to a Reuters report dated January 19, 2024: “‘In his conversation with President Biden, Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated his policy that after Hamas is destroyed Israel must retain security control over Gaza to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel, a requirement that contradicts the demand for Palestinian sovereignty,’ a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office said.”
As the Israeli government has stated that it requires extra control over Gaza, is it reasonable to suggest that it will probably benefit financially from land ownership rights over Gaza and the West Bank?
If the present Israeli government benefits from oil and gas in Gaza and the West Bank, the UK and US should declare that this is an important consideration in peace negotiations.
In my view, the stated approach by the US and UK appealing for the de-escalation of the destruction of Palestine people and infrastructure — solely from a humanitarian and security perspective — does not paint the full picture.
Mary Hargaden,Bray,Co Wicklow
Energy supply needs rethink
Congratulations to Cork TD Christopher O’Sullivan on his appointment as Fianna Fáil spokesman on coastal communities (‘Cork TD appointed Fianna Fáil spokesman on coastal issues’, The Echo, February 5, 2024).
It would be helpful, however, if Mr O’Sullivan would elaborate on his claim that Ireland has the opportunity to become a “world superpower” in terms of renewable energy. This extraordinary claim is often referred to by fellow politicians and commentators as Ireland becoming the “Saudi Arabia of wind energy”.
Close examination of the available daily data on Eirgrid wind generation figures for Ireland (smartgriddashboard.com) and EU wind generation figures (windeurope.org) puts Ireland’s current and future wind energy prowess in stark relief.
Ireland’s installed onshore wind capacity is currently around 5GW and at 70% of demand during sporadic high winds generates, at best, 75 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity daily, averaging at around 35GWh.
The top 10 EU countries wind generation, at 30% of demand, produces 2,703GWh and have a total daily demand of 8,503GWh.
To put Ireland’s current generating capacity in perspective, we have yet to feature in the top 10 EU electricity producers and feature only sometimes in the lower ranks of the top 20 generating countries.
Ireland has little offshore wind capacity while Germany, Denmark, the UK, Netherlands, and Belgium all have substantial quantities of offshore installed capacity, and are rapidly ploughing ahead installing substantially more capacity. Denmark often produces well over 100% of its demand through wind generation.
Even if Ireland manages to install another 5GW of offshore wind generation as promised by 2030, we will only produce between 100 to 150GWh per day, a tiny fraction of Europe’s needs and much of it will be used for increased domestic consumption at that stage.
Some in the wind lobby are talking about installing 30GW offshore capacity generating about 300 to 450MWh per day, again little value to Europe with a projected total daily demand approaching 20,000GWh post 2030.
Given these figures, it would be naive to expect EU countries to depend on Ireland for future supplies as we advance, snail like, to increase generating capacity.
It would also be illuminating if Mr O’Sullivan would explain why he stayed silent on Green Party leader Eamon Ryan’s irresponsible decision to stop the development of the Barryroe oil and gas field just off the Cork coast which would have ensured national energy security for decades to come, and a huge economic and employment boost for West Cork and the whole country.
John Leahy,Wilton,Cork
