Sir, – In 1989 passenger throughput in Dublin Airport reached five million. It rose to 20 million in 2006 at the peak of the Celtic Tiger. The cap of 32 million passengers in 2024 was breached and rose to 34.6 million.
According to the Central Statistics Office, in 2022 Ireland had the second highest emissions of greenhouse gases in the EU at 11.7 tonnes per person.
The Minister for Transport and Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien recently declared that he could anticipate a time when as many as 60 million passengers would pass through Dublin Airport per year.
He claimed that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and more energy efficient plane fleets will help to reduce the impact of spiralling emissions. International Airlines Group (IAG) has set a target for 10 per cent of its flights to use SAF by 2030, as has Ryanair.
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A child could tell you that the maths doesn’t add up and that Dublin Airport’s emissions levels will spiral if the planned trajectory is 60 million passengers.
We have just experienced the warmest spring and summer ever according to Met Éireann. Someone has to put the brakes on, because this Government is clearly not serious about achieving the 2030 legally binding climate goal set by the EU of 51 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels.
We all need to try to be at least conscious of our damaging impact on the environment by taking a flight. For instance, a return flight from Dublin to Paris emits approximately 484 kg to 490 kg of CO2 per passenger.
I propose that airlines are mandated to publish emissions information when passengers are booking a flight and on boarding passes. This will improve awareness about the damaging environmental impact of flying and some may take climate action and decide not to fly. – Yours, etc,
MARK FOX,
Dublin 18.
Infrastructure planning
Sir, – If Denis O’Neill’s idea (Letters, September 16th) had been taken and there was a burst in the water pipeline laid under a canal it would need a frog diver to repair it. Of course, to get a pipeline to a canal in Offaly would necessitate many miles of land procurement anyway.
This project reflects Ireland’s lack of long-term planning for large infrastructure projects. The motorway from Limerick to Dublin was a long number of years in its planning. At the same time the Limerick to Dublin pipeline was being planned.
Why didn’t the two bodies come together years ago, purchase an extra width, of say 20m, alongside the full motorway and lay the pipeline in conjunction with the motorway construction?
The M7 from Limerick to Dublin and the M9 from Waterford to Dublin meet seamlessly in north Kildare. But, if you want to travel from say Carlow (M9) to Portlaoise (M7) you have to exit the motorway near Kilcullen, travel into the town, take narrow rural roads through the Curragh to get onto the westbound M7.
Years ago I asked a design engineer with the National Roads Authority why not a seamless transition to both motorways. His answer was they didn’t think anybody would be using it! – Yours, etc,
JOHN McKEOWN,
Waterford.
Hello Holly
Sir, – How refreshing it was to hear the leader of the Social Democrats back on the radio being interviewed. She didn’t allow herself be bullied by the interviewer; she was thoughtful; avoided the bluster and false promises of most of our current politicians and she was not afraid to say “I don’t know.” – Yours, etc,
HELEN ROBERTSON,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Sixteen years ago a young man (now a politician) blacked up his face to look like Barack Obama for a Halloween party. Now there is a hullabaloo because he is being accused of racism.
How ridiculous, he was imitating an amazing president with Irish roots who, I would imagine, would be both flattered and amused.
This is not racism, it is a young man having fun at a Halloween party. – Yours, etc,
SUSAN MOFFETT,
Monkstown,
Dublin.
Sir, – So if I want to dress up as a famous black person for Halloween, say Bob Marley, or Nelson Mandela, or Kamala Harris – or Barack Obama – it would be offensive, indeed racist, to darken my white face in order to look a bit convincing.
For my next fancy-dress party, I will be sure to insist that none of my guests come as a black person.
Only “whites” are welcome. Now that rings a bell. – Yours, etc,
BELLA MAHER,
Dalkey,
Dublin.
Inheritance tax and legal costs
Sir – Tomás Heneghan makes it all sound so easy ( Constitution and inheritance tax, Letters, September 16th). The victim of a constitutional injustice can simply go to the High Court for a “relatively small fee” incurred in lodging the papers.
Unfortunately, in reality, we know this is not how things happen. The real cost is not in lodging papers but in paying lawyers, and these are invariably astronomical. Cases can drag on for decades, and even if the plaintiff’s own legal team is happy to work free, this in not true of their opponents.
Should the plaintiff not win he will be faced with the staggering fees of the government’s well-paid legal heavyweights. Many constitutional injustices are not pursued for this very reason. Fiat Justicia ruat caelum? – Yours, etc,
CIARÁN Mac GUILL,
Clichy,
France.
Scroll-free
Sir, – I had occasion to utilise public transport on Saturday for a cross-city bus mission. Of 14 fellow commuters, one woman in close proximity was not scrolling on a smartphone.
This was the creepiest thing I have witnessed this year. – Yours, etc,
FRANK J BYRNE,
Dublin 9.
Free parking
Sir, – I disagree with Dr Ola Lokken Nordrum’s suggestion that there should be more car-free days in Dublin city (Letters, September 15th).
Citizens should be free to drive wherever and whenever they want, so long as they have paid their motor insurance and car tax, have a valid driver’s licence and NCT certificate, are driving safely and obeying the rules of the road, and are prepared to pay for their parking. – Yours etc.
BRIAN QUIGLEY,
Drumcondra,
Dublin 9.
Mercosur and Irish farmers
Sir, – I refer to John FitzGerald’s article (“In a world of Trump trade chaos, Ireland needs reliable partners,” September 15th) which claims that the ratification of the EU Mercosur Trade Agreement will not adversely impact the European beef market.
Are we expected to ignore the damaging impact that this agreement will have on Ireland and our EU agri-food partners while car manufacturing businesses elsewhere prosper at our expense?
Mercosur is many things to the beef industry in Ireland, but a “scare story” it is not.
It is frequently claimed that the preferential low tariff quota of beef imports to the EU of 99,000 tonnes is equivalent to 1.5 per cent of the EU beef market.
This is a gross over-simplification of the reality facing the sector. By ratifying Mercosur, we will grant Mercosur countries a tariff windfall of €405 million annually in perpetuity.
This is at a time when the political system is indicating significant cuts to the next Common Agricultural Policy budget. This windfall will be used to undercut beef prices in the EU with an estimated hit of €1.3 billion to EU beef market output values, assuming that the new quota is dominated by steak cuts, which is a significant risk. Irish farmers could be looking at a hit of up to €95 per animal.
The beef industry is not opposed to free trade; however, it must be fair and free trade. It was repeatedly explained to EU negotiators that allowing the Mercosur block to cherry pick the high value steak cut market in the EU would have significant consequences. The sector must now hope that the Irish Government will honour its Programme for Government commitment to oppose this deal in its current form.
Scrambling to introduce safeguards late in the day will not suffice. As for importing thousands of tonnes of high carbon beef into the EU at a time when farmers here are being put to the pin of their collars to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent at the end of this decade, is clearly contrary to all logic.
We are not alone among EU member states in our opposition to this agreement in its current form. – Yours, etc
DALE CRAMMOND,
Director, Meat Industry Ireland,
Ibec,
Dublin 2.
Sir, – John FitzGerald considers it a truism that “European solidarity is more important than ever”, a notion that surely has been buried under the blood-soaked rubble of Gaza by the EU’s complicit governments. – Yours, etc.
BEN WALSH,
Glasnevin,
Dublin 11.
More fox, more news
Sir, – In reference to Laura O’Mara’s letter (September 15th) about foxes stealing her delivered Irish Times, I would like to report that foxes have left my Irish Times but have been stealing my litres of Supermilk.
Perhaps they’re all meeting up for breakfast in some den. Needless to say, my milkman was at first perplexed by my complaint that foxes were stealing my milk. – Yours, etc.
CAROL FOX,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Letter-writer Laura O’Mara, in response to the mischief caused by a fox getting to the home delivery copy of The Irish Times before her, asks the question: “Can foxes read?”
Perhaps not, maybe the fox just overheard a neighbour say that newspapers were food for the brain and picked up on that comment. – Yours, etc,
DERMOT O’ROURKE,
Lucan,
Dublin.
Sir, – While a family of foxes, resident underneath our garden studio over three years, never devoured our Irish Times, the mother had another chore. On a regular basis, she would bring unmatched black shoes (don’t ask) into the garden.
We believe these were used to train the cubs in their hunting skills. We assume the odd shoes were recycled among other fox crèches. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK JUDGE,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
Catholic Ireland
Sir, – I wish to remind Breda O’Brien (“Post-Catholic Ireland is hardly utopia,” September 13th) that neither Christianity nor Catholicism have a monopoly on the right path to being a good person.
There are billions of non-Catholic, non-Christian and non-religious people throughout the world who live daily the social values of tolerance and fair play which she holds dear.
We don’t need God to be kind. – Yours, etc,
DONAGH McINERNEY,
Kildare.
Bereavement and sharing grief
Sir, – Patrick Rowley-Brooke, in his letter (September 16th), wonders if perhaps there is a forum for those bereaved. I’m happy to share that there is.
Widow.ie, which welcomes men and women, is a free, peer to peer support group.
It’s as anonymous as you are comfortable with and there are hundreds of posts, thousands of replies to view.
An amazing group of people who understand exactly what life after the loss of a spouse or partner is like.
For any of your readers, widows or widowers, please feel free to contact us.
We welcome any new members despite the pain and sadness that obviously surrounds this incredibly difficult period in their lives. – Yours, etc,
DAVID CURRAN,
Knocknacarra,
Galway.
Humphreys and the presidency
Sir, – Edward Burke has done the electorate in the upcoming presidential election a great service by putting the story of the Humphreys family into historical context (“Humphreys family has nothing to explain or apologise for,” September 16th).
We should also remember that representatives of the Orange Order from both sides of the Border were welcomed to Áras an Uachtaráin annually to mark the Twelfth of July during Mrs McAleese’s presidency, and that she visited the Orange Hall at Barkey, Co Cavan, in 2008.
That’s what “bridge-building” across the communities on this island is all about.
Because of her family’s background, Ms Humphreys is uniquely placed among the candidates now seeking the presidency to advance that work. – Yours, etc,
FELIX M LARKIN,
Cabinteely,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – Very recently, Fintan O’Toole reminded us that “the political system has a duty to let a variety of voices be heard”.
A substantial cross-section of the electorate who vote for Independents expect Independent TDs and Senators to facilitate independent voices, especially when it comes to candidates for the presidency.
Indeed, not to do so undermines one’s claim to independence.
How do you solve a problem like Maria Steen? In a week where democracy experienced a shocking public muting of one voice, vote to free up another one to speak.
Democracy is suffering from too much political silencing. – Yours, etc,
MARK HAMILTON,
Blackrock,
Dublin.
Sir, – I thought our politicians were fearless champions of choice. Not when it comes to presidential election campaigns, it seems. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN CONROY,
Windy Arbour,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – Forgive me if I find it hard to believe a member of the Iona Institute, which promotes the church that influenced policy in this State for decades, and still dominates almost 90 per cent of our schools, when she claims she would be a non-establishment candidate. – Yours, etc,
BERNIE LINNANE,
Dromahair,
Co Leitrim.
Sir, – I have a lovely Michael D Higgins tea cosy and as the race to Áras an Uachtaráin unfolds, I am increasingly persuaded by who will make the nicest tea cosy.
I rest my case. – Yours, etc,
MAUREEN McGROARY-MEEHAN,
Co Donegal.
