Tackling the housing crisis
A chara, – In a country gripped by a deepening housing crisis, the Government’s proposed appointment of a so-called “housing tsar” on a €430,000 salary is tone-deaf and emblematic of a broader disconnect between those in power and the people they serve.
Brendan McDonagh, the chief executive of the National Asset Management Agency (Nama), is reportedly set to retain this eye-watering salary while heading a new Housing Activation Office.
Let us be clear: this is not just about a salary, it’s about priorities, accountability and the failure to confront the root causes of the housing disaster Ireland faces.
We are told by Taoiseach Micheál Martin that this decision is about “getting houses built much more quickly”. Yet at what cost, and to what end? Can we justify paying someone nearly four times the salary of a Government minister – and more than most heads of state in Europe – while teachers, nurses and gardaí struggle to pay rent or secure a mortgage in the country they serve?
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Worse still, this new role risks becoming yet another layer of bureaucracy. What Ireland needs is not more Civil Service titles or offices with lofty names, but action – practical, fast and scalable solutions that deliver homes now, not in five years.
Modular housing was rapidly built for Ukrainian refugees – and rightly so on humanitarian grounds. But where is that same urgency for Irish families stuck in emergency accommodation, couch-surfing, or on housing lists for over a decade? Why isn’t that same modular housing model being aggressively expanded to integrate both refugees and Irish citizens into functioning communities?
The public’s outrage is not just about one man’s salary. It is about watching yet another attempt to solve a national emergency with status titles and press releases, while families wait – cold, priced out, and tired of promises. – Is mise le meas,
KILLIAN BRENNAN,
Malahide Road,
Dublin 17.
Sir, – What exactly will be the duties of the Minister for Housing, after the proposed new “housing tsar” takes office? Will the taxpayer be expected to pay two salaries for duplicated roles and responsibilities?
Or is the Government expecting the new appointee to be a 24-carat gold Superman who has all the political and moral courage that our politicians lack, when it comes to getting houses built? If it’s the latter, than the new appointee just might be worth ¤430,000 annually. – Yours, etc,
TIM BUCKLEY,
Cork City.
Kneecap and the right to protest
Sir, – The British government’s treatment of the Irish-language rap group Kneecap is not only a disgraceful overreach but a chilling example of political hypocrisy and cultural repression masquerading as security (“Kneecap videos to be investigated by UK’s counter-terrorism police”, News, May 1st).
At a time when the UK government continues to supply weapons to the Israeli state – a regime under allegations of committing genocide in Gaza – the moral outrage over a punk group’s reckless stage rhetoric rings hollow. Israeli ministers have made openly genocidal statements against Palestinians, and yet the British establishment chooses to direct its counter-terrorism apparatus not towards these threats, but toward a group of musicians expressing dissent and anger through art.
Let us be clear: calling for violence is never acceptable. But nor is selectively silencing voices of protest, especially when the UK arms and shields those committing unspeakable atrocities. Kneecap’s political art may provoke discomfort, but that is precisely the role of political art. To de-platform them while ignoring British complicity in the suffering of the Palestinian people is the definition of state-sanctioned hypocrisy.
If Westminster wishes to honour the memory of Jo Cox and David Amess, it should start by championing dialogue and justice – not censorship and distraction. Artists must remain free to challenge power, particularly when that power is complicit in the machinery of death abroad. – Yours, etc,
GAVIN REDDIN,
Swords,
Co Dublin.
Warnings labels on alcohol
Sir, – The chair of Alcohol Action Ireland, Frank Murray, has stated that the objective of the proposed Irish alcohol label is to provide clear information to the public (“Should plans to put cancer warning labels on alcohol go ahead? A doctor and a wine expert debate”, Opinion, April 29th).
However, the EU Commission already requires nutritional information, including calorie content, to be displayed via a QR (quick response) code on wine back labels – standardised per 100ml across all EU products.
The Irish proposal cuts across the EU Commission’s Beating Cancer Plan, developing a continent-wide labelling strategy for alcohol that will apply uniformly to all EU wine producers when completed.
The proposed Irish label repeats the QR code information per container (ie per 750ml bottle), resulting in duplication and two differing formats for the same data. This is not clarity – it is confusion.
As wine is an agricultural product, its nutritional content varies from year to year, depending on the weather during the growing season. Recalculating and reprinting this information annually is a mammoth task for small EU farmers and wine growers.
The design and technical requirements for the Irish label make it almost impossible for small EU producers to comply. Most do not have the resources or infrastructure to adapt to these demands, particularly for a market the size of Ireland.
When combined with the highest excise duties in the EU and significant restrictions on alcohol sales, this measure becomes yet another barrier. This is also happening at a time when alcohol consumption in Ireland is declining.
The proportionate response is to await the development of the EU Commission’s Beating Cancer Plan on alcohol labelling.
Why is Ireland proceeding unilaterally, when the only foreseeable outcomes are increased confusion for consumers and the exclusion of small EU winemakers, many of them organic, from our shelves? – Yours, etc,
GARETH KEOGH,
Wines Direct,
Mullingar,
Co Westmeath.
Fake online advertisments
Sir, – Martin Wolf’s tale of his great difficulty in having fake advertisements removed from Instagram and Facebook may be shocking, but is not surprising (“Playing ‘whack-a-mole’ with Meta over my fraudulent avatars”, Business, May 1st).
He reveals that 970,000 users have viewed more than 1,700 of these ads, which use his name, image and reputation in an effort to scam people.
If these online apps did not exist, these ads would never have appeared. It is clear that the owner, Meta, is the publisher. That they can remove the posts when advised of their existence clearly supports this view. But no, the wealthy tech giants have successfully lobbied weak politicians and the regulators to nominate their software as mere “platforms”. Surely it’s time for a robust review of this nonsensical situation? – Yours, etc,
PAUL WALDRON,
Ballinteer,
Dublin 16.
Coimisiún na Meán’s remit
Sir, – I was appalled to see the letter to the editor in relation to Coimisiún na Meán’s plan (Letters, April 29th). As I understand it, Coimisiún na Meán‘s remit is to protect the interests of people in relation to digital marketing and, more importantly, to implement legislation that protects people (in this instance parents and children) from manipulative and exploitative marketing practices.
As a former principal and trade union activist, as well as being involved in the development of ethical education curricula, I have always had an interest in human rights and the protection of children. I believe that the Coimisiún cannot cherry pick what legislation or aspect of legislation to implement. I would go so far as to say it is unethical. It is irrelevant if the situation is complicated to enact. We need to be able to trust the Coimisiún to do its job without fear or favour.
Surely our children deserve the best of protection and I am certain they would also fully support that the legislation concerned not only protects them but the environment too.
I appeal to Coimisiún to implement all of the legislation as enacted by our Government in the interests of all people but in particular children and their future wellbeing. I am grateful to those who submitted the letter for bringing this to our attention. – Yours, etc,
SALLY SHEILS,
Ratoath,
Co Meath.
William Blake’s Irishness
Sir, – The suspected Irishness of William Blake is new to me (“Was William Blake, one of England’s greatest poets, actually Irish?”, Books, April 30th). I have always liked the classic and rousing unofficial English national anthem Jerusalem, which inexplicably pulls at my Irish heartstrings when Blake’s words “this green and pleasant land” sprang forth – sure isn’t Ireland the green and pleasant land?
Something subliminal was going on that now has meaning! – Yours, etc,
JIM BANNON,
Miami Florida,
US.
Unnecessary vehicles
A chara, – If you don’t need a tow bar, you don’t need an SUV. – Is mise,
DAVE SLATER,
Kilkea,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – Maybe SUVs would be less popular if they were rebranded for what they really are in most cases, stupidly unnecessary vehicles. – Yours, etc,
ANTHONY MORAN,
Bundoran,
Co Donegal.
Noisy train passengers
Sir, – Thank you Kathy Sheridan for your excellent take on the use of mobile phones on trains (“I leaned over to the man beside me and asked him to put on headphones. Everyone looked away”, Opinion, April 30th).
Some years ago I was on a train in Japan. As the train departed a stewardess appeared at the door facing the passengers. She made an announcement, which she then translated to English: “You are not permitted to have your cell phone on speaker as it annoys the neighbours!” – Yours, etc,
MiICHAEL ROONEY,
Knocknacarra,
Galway.
Leonie the orangutan
Sir, – The death of Leonie, long-time companion to Sibu the orangutan, marks the end of an era in Dublin Zoo (“‘Intelligent, gentle’ orangutan who has been in Dublin Zoo since 1984 dies”, News, April 24th).
Those who visited the zoo in the 1980s will remember Sibu not just for his striking presence, but for his unmistakable personality. Perched atop a wooden pole in his enclosure, he often engaged in antics that amused and startled onlookers. Sibu died last year and now Leonie has followed. Together, they were part of the fabric of countless childhood memories. – Yours, etc,
CHRISTOPHER HARTLEY,
Norfolk,
England.
One and only cuckoo
Sir, – As is customary at this time of the year you publish letters (two on Thursday) from around the country citing the arrival of “the cuckoo”. Is this the same cuckoo who is circumnavigating the country or have people actually heard “a cuckoo”? – Yours, etc,
KEVIN O’SULLIVAN,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.
