Letters to the Editor: Older people need to make their voices heard

Terry referred to Joe Biden, the Pope, Donald Trump, and Dr Fauci — all achievers. Nearer home would anyone see our President as someone needing compassion, or answering the question: ‘Why do you wear those lovely colourful outfits?’

The last paragraph in Terry’s column captures the truth of the real situation: “Close to 650,000 people in this country are over 65... ushered by forced retirement into inactivity and then ushered by the pandemic into invisibility or caricature.”

Surely this is unjust, discriminatory, and shows scant regard to the value of experience, knowledge and most of all wisdom. 

All of this is needed now more than ever before to inspire, encourage and support younger people.

It is long overdue for older people, retired or still working, to join forces and make their voices heard loud and clear to make sure this discrimination is called out for what it is.

Yes we can!

Alice Leahy

Director of services

Alice Leahy Trust

Environment must be enshrined in Constitution

Many young people are voicing their concerns on environmental issues. They are highlighting the need for a healthy natural environment and our role in protecting our environment for, not only our present generations but, our future generations also.

A recent campaign by Climate Case Ireland to establish environmental rights as a part of the Constitution of Ireland recognises that a healthy natural environment is a precondition to enjoy all other human rights.

Including our environment in our Constitution provides unique protection and is a clear signal of its importance.

As national director of an environmental organisation, we have seen the effects our climate emergency has had on the younger generations in Ireland.

At Eco-Unesco, we conducted a survey recently in which more than 77% of people aged 16-24 were concerned about climate issues; 37% felt they had been personally affected by climate change.

There is a clear sense of eco-anxiety among young people in Ireland. 

A movement to include our environment in the Constitution, to grant people a safe and healthy environment, could be a step in the right direction. 

This, along with initiatives to support young people who want to take action and find solutions on environmental issues, will help young people feel empowered and hopeful for their futures.

Ultimately, it is the youth of today that will reap the effects of our environmental decisions so it is essential that their voices are heard.

When asked what was most important in tackling climate issues, 48% of young people said changes in businesses and corporations while 38% said changes in government policies. 

It’s clear there are changes that need to be taken; recognising the environment in our Constitution could one of the changes that is needed.

Elaine Nevin

ECO-UNESCO

Dublin 2

Hypocrisy a part of the EU ideologue

In his letter — ‘Still trying to exploit’ ( Irish Examiner, July 6) — A Leavy bemoans that a British journalist puts forward the idea the UK might prosper at Ireland’s expense as a result of our status as a tax haven being exposed. He puts this down to a Brexiteer mentality.

I suggest that he go back and read the plethora of articles in Irish media that lauded the prospect of Brexit and the opportunity it would afford Ireland to take foreign direct investment from Britain into Ireland. 

It seems hypocrisy is the hallmark of the EU ideologue.

Apparently it is OK for us to celebrate the prospect of taking money from the UK economy but for a British citizen to do the same is somehow a throwback to a colonial mentality.

To compound the irony, such remarks come on the back of Ireland joining the likes of St Vincent, the Grenadines, Kenya, and Nigeria in rejecting a global corporate tax rate.

Simon O’Connor

Lismore Road

Crumlin

Dublin 12

Sisters deserve much more respect

The Sisters of Charity, currently under fire from all quarters in the National Maternity Hospital controversy, are surely deserving of more respect, and indeed, gratitude.

Founded by our own Mary Aikenhead, these women have laboured long and hard in the areas of healthcare, education and compassion and we, the Irish people, ought not to forget the debt we owe to them for their self-sacrificing dedication in a time of great need, poverty, disease, and misery.

Along with the Sisters of Mercy and Nano Nagle’s sisters of Presentation (and also the Christian Brothers), they effectively helped to raise our people off their knees.

Yes, they were not perfect and we know full well the catalogue of personal indignities and abuse suffered by many at their hands but such aberrations were due to the failings of individuals within these congregations to live up to the ideals of their founders.

Innishannon Road

Cork

Housing crisis must be acknowledged

It is high time we got a housing system that works for all the citizens of this country. 

The Government must also declare a national housing crisis because we have no idea what affect the lack of housing in Ireland is having on an entire generation of children.

Noel Harrington

Kinsale

Co Cork

Time for Trump to just move on

From the person who was a gift for letter writers, ex-US president Trump, comes with what seems to be a desperate attempt to get back into the public eye and a lot of lawsuits.

Maybe he is suffering from relevance deprivation syndrome — people are forgetting him or just ignoring him. This hasn’t really been a good week for presidents with Haiti’s president Moise assassinated and South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma heading for jail.

Trump’s plan to sue Facebook, Twitter, and Google could be difficult especially when his favourite lawyer Rudy Giuliani isn’t able to practise at the moment and many of his other lawyers are probably busy with his corporate concerns.

It might not be best for Trump to take this approach; maybe he should give up, accept his losses and move on.

He could save the money that the lawyers will willingly take, donate it to a real charity, and move into the former presidents club and write a memoir, factual — but most likely fictional.

He could join the talking circuit, he has had plenty of practise, he could get his library ready and include a few hundred copies of The Art of the Deal — but get out of politics.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Vic Melbourne

Australia

Dignity of women during prison visits

I’ve read the article on women being asked to remove underwear while visiting prison Martin shocked by bra request at prison.

If a woman smuggles in a knife, or the drug “spice”, in her underwear and a prisoner dies, what then?

Do we then call the Prison Service stupid and uncaring because they didn’t search properly?

Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.

Seán Ó Sé

Cork

Dual headlines for sport and finance

Wednesday was a day of contrasting fortunes for our English neighbours. Their currency depreciated on foreign exchanges, but their soccer team advanced to the Euro finals.

Unfortunately both financial and sport pages had the same headlines: “Sterling takes a dive.”

Seán Kelly

Newtown Hill

Tramore

Co Waterford

Paying the penalty

Congratulations to the England team on reaching their first major soccer tournament final since 1966.

What a pity it was achieved in no small part by a cheater’s penalty.

Liam Power

Blackrock

Dundalk

Co Louth