Sir, – Kathy Sheridan refers to President Michael D Higgins speaking about “the ecological catastrophe [his emphasis] we now face” (Opinion & Analysis, May 3rd). Her emphasis on his emphasis speaks volumes. Does she honestly think we are not facing an ecological catastrophe?
Our President is right. Economists are out of touch. – Yours, etc,
Niall CLANCY,
Smithfield,
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Dublin 7.
Sir, – While growth-bashing may be popular in some left-wing circles, one of the aspects which is never considered is that of debt. Government debt is rarely paid off, but is usually “rolled over” or refinanced and most governments run a moderate deficit and so keep adding to the debt.
Implicit in all of this is that debt ratios and servicing costs are kept manageable by GDP growth; if we are to decide that degrowth is a good thing, we also need to realise that this means balancing budgets so as not to pass an unsustainable burden onto the younger generation.
Its very regrettable that some well-remunerated senior citizens with generous defined-benefit pensions from the State forget this. – Yours, etc,
PAUL KEAN,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – ChatGDP? – Yours, etc,
ULTÁN Ó BROIN,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.