Letters to the Editor: Cross-border commuting a win-win
Across the world, large numbers of people successfully commute from lower-cost residential areas to higher-wage employment centres. Picture: Larry Cummins
Dublin urgently needs experienced and skilled workers while Northern Ireland needs houses for returning emigrants and those requiring social housing.
With a population of 1.9m there were only 1,400 houses built in Northern Ireland in 2025.
However, a relatively modest investment in wastewater treatment infrastructure in the Newry-Banbridge-Armagh area would unlock the building of thousands of additional houses.
Across the world, large numbers of people successfully commute from lower-cost residential areas to higher-wage employment centres.
For example, about 120,000 French residents live in France but work in Geneva.
In Ireland, with the introduction of an hourly train service between Belfast and Dublin, complemented by express bus services and the rise of hybrid working, cross-border commuting to Dublin has become a practical and attractive option.
Such commuters pay their income taxes in the Republic while spending a significant portion of their disposable income in Northern Ireland, where a new three-bed house can be purchased for €250,000.
New homes in Northern Ireland incur no Vat (compared with 13.5% in the Republic) and attract zero stamp duty for properties up to £500,000.
The same three-bed house in Dublin 14 costs €750,000.
If the Dublin employer pays the train or bus ticket there is no benefit in kind resulting in a saving of 40% on the price of a ticket.
The British government is spending in excess of £80bn on the new London to Birmingham high speed railway connection and the Irish Government is committing more than €9bn to the Dublin Metro.
An interest-free loan for seven years of £300m to the Stormont executive would resolve the water waste capacity issue for the Newry-Banbridge-Armagh area, and would alleviate Dublin’s skills shortage, and at the same time provide excellent job opportunities for returning Irish emigrants.
Surely a win-win situation for both economies.
As the published a route map for the delectation of objectors to the Cork Luas and considers the pros and cons of nuclear power (Monday, April 13), I am reminded of an exchange between a KGB official and a nuclear scientist in the HBO series .
The KGB official advises the scientist “why worry about something that is never going to happen?”
The nuclear physicist replies: “We should print that on our money.”
Imagine the craic that the fuel protesters could have with trucks carrying exhausted soldiers and spent fuel rods.
Those in Government don’t seem to understand the maths and facts of the silent majority.
The belief by Government is that as the electorate moves past our 20s and through our 30s and into our 40s and 50s, we climb many rungs of a ladder.
And as we climb, we move from job to job or promotion to promotion, gaining income, assets, and savings along each tread of this stair.
However, this ladder broke in 2008 and many who rode out the recession came out the other side battered, bruised, and financially worse off.
By the time Brexit hit, and then covid, many of this same group found themselves taking another hit and another step down the ladder.
In 2022, and in the face of the cost of living crisis, people were pushed even further backwards.
Today, with the financial crisis brought about by the US/Israel war on Iran, people have nowhere left to go.
They can’t move forward, and there’s no more steps backwards.
There is a silent majority at the bottom of the ladder, throwing their arms up, hoping someone will help to pull them up.
Last Thursday evening, after both teacher union conferences had wrapped up for the year, the Department of Education published two circulars creating new senior cycle redevelopment co-ordinator posts in schools.
These posts come with assistant principal allowances and reduced timetables of up to four hours per week.
ASTI members cannot apply for them. Not because we are unqualified. Not because we have failed in our duties. But because our union did not accept the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures (SCRISM) agreement.
The circulars state this explicitly. A declaration form attached to each one requires teachers to formally declare their union membership before they can even be considered for a post in their own school.
I think about what this means in practice. Two teachers, same school, same subjects, same students, same workload. One can apply for the post and the reduced timetable that comes with it. The other cannot. The only difference between them is their union card.
The circulars were published on Thursday evening once both annual conferences had ended, ensuring there was no opportunity for teachers to respond collectively.
I do not think that timing was accidental.
I wrote to education minister Hildegarde Naughton when this was first announced.
I am writing to you now because this deserves to be seen and discussed publicly.
Whatever one thinks about the SCRISM dispute, using State policy to make union membership professionally and financially costly is something no teacher, and no worker, should accept quietly.
There is a painting of Our Lady of Sorrows in the church in Pakil in the Philippines which has been our go-to Marian pilgrimage destination for many years.
It is the most striking image; heart breaking; a dagger through the heart, and her eyes lifted up, gazing upon her son on the cross.
I have prayed for miracles there and seen the power of Our Lady’s intercession and while I always understood her standing as the only perfect creature, uniquely related to the Trinity as handmaid, mother and spouse; I recently heard a very interesting talk with insights related to different events in her life and what they signify.
As she stood at the foot of the cross in perfect virtue; having carried that moment in her heart since Simeon revealed it to her at the Presentation, it was her moment of greatest glory.
Aside from Jesus’s death and resurrection, that was the most glorious moment in history.
The second event was the Assumption which was her triumph after a life without a single fall into sin and finally her crowning as queen of heaven where her excellence is honoured by God before the company of heaven. Hence God will refuse her nothing. What a gift to us who need her prayers.
Hail, holy queen, mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, o merciful, o loving, o sweet virgin Mary. Amen.
Stephen Clark, Manila, Philippines
