Sir, – No clear evidence has been put forward that the continuing operation of pre-clearance facilities at Dublin or Shannon airports violates any Irish laws. Absent any convincing evidence, we should be very slow to end a facility that benefits many travellers, including increasing numbers transiting this country because of the facilities, to the benefit of Aer Lingus and others. In any case, most persons subject to the new US restrictions will likely be prevented from ever getting as far as the US immigration officers in Dublin or Shannon, as airlines feeding passengers to our airports are required to screen all prospective travellers and prevent any who might be covered by the new restrictions from travelling. – Yours, etc,
PAUL O’CARR,
Dublin 2.
Sir, – Perhaps Enda Kenny, when delivering the shamrock, could make a suggestion to Donald on behalf of the people of Ireland. That is, for every American bomb dropped on foreign soil, the home of the brave and the land of the free should accept one refugee from a war-torn part of the world.
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Even better if he could be convinced to backdate it by a few decades. – Yours, etc,
GERRY SAVAGE,
Corrandulla, Co Galway.
Sir, – The reaction to Donald Trump’s first 12 days in office has been daily hysteria. It’s as if his election was a fluke. This century was barely three weeks old when Bill Clinton left office on January 20th, 2001, a day on which the US’s richest 1 per cent owned 30 per cent of that nation’s wealth. Today they own 50 per cent. During those 16 years under Bush and Obama, where were all these liberal metropolitans who now protest so hysterically at Donald Trump? I’m thinking of people like Meryl Streep, Madonna and America Ferrera, and the rest. They ought to have been marching every weekend infuriated by such an obscene, immoral and indefensible transfer of wealth to the already super-rich. And both of Mr Trump’s predecessors should hang their heads in shame, having presided over such a vast expansion in inequality.
Donald Trump is merely the repository for a population’s pent-up anger, so shouting at the man is futile. He’s got an electoral mandate. Better to protest while wealth gaps are actually being widened on a breath-taking scale and against the ideology driving it, which is neoliberal economics. - Yours, etc,
RONAN SCANLAN
Dublin 18.
Sir, – From the other side of the pond, I believe that it would be in the best interests of the Irish economy to bite the bullet and go ahead with the planned visit. Sometimes you have to lose a battle to win the war! – Yours, etc,
JUDITH CONWAY,
Gold Canyon,
Arizona.
A chara, – In "Kenny would send wrong message by visiting Trump" (Opinion & Analysis, January 31st), John Maher argues that Irish tax arrangements are depriving the poorest in Africa of public services. This incorrectly assumes wealth is finite and a zero-sum game. Globalisation and trade have been reducing poverty throughout the world, albeit not fast enough. Separately, Ireland is unique among countries in receiving an annual invitation to the White House. Accepting an invitation is not an endorsement of policies, and such objections are best raised inside the room, rather than outside. – Yours, etc,
DAVID McMANUS,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – I cannot believe that Enda Kenny would go to the US with a bowl of shamrock. I know it is a tradition, but he should not go. Does Mr Kenny really think that he can change Donald Trump? – Yours, etc,
MAUREEN EILISH
PURCELL,
Louth Village,
Co Louth.
Sir, – From an Irish perspective , it is shocking to find a politician like Donald Trump who campaigns on one set of policies and when elected carries them out. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN O’SULLIVAN,
Letterkenny
Co Donegal.
Sir, – I see the new president of the United States wants a wall along the border with Mexico and he wants Mexico to pay for it. Maybe it should – along the line of the pre-1848 border that included California, Nevada, Utah, Texas, most of Arizona, about half of New Mexico, about a quarter of Colorado, and a portion of Wyoming. – Yours, etc,
RORY NOONAN,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – In An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, on Monday night, there was a fantastic, warm and extended round of applause from the audience for the American singer-songwriter Joe Henry, playing with Billy Bragg, when he said with reference to the new US president, “It’s where we are but it’s not who we are.” The depth of feeling and love of good was palpable. – Yours, etc,
JAMES FINNEGAN,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – While there is clearly much to abhor about Donald Trump, he is unusual in that he says what is on his mind and follows up on it. Does his election reflect a growing distrust of politicians worldwide who do the opposite, spending most of their time hiding behind insincere soundbites and delaying action? The real challenge now is to mainstream politicians, who need to show courage, conviction and genuine leadership to win citizens over to democratic values, evidence-based argument and sound judgment. If our societies continue to fail to produce leaders with these qualities, and a critical mass of citizens who expect them in their leaders, then we are in for a perilous ride not just for the next four years in the US but for decades to come throughout the developed world. – Yours, etc,
Prof EOIN O’LEARY,
School of Economics,
UCC.