Sir, – Before commuters rejoice at hearing that affordable housing is only 2½ hours away in Newry, I think every sitting Minister should be encouraged to make use of existing public transport infrastructure so they have critical hands-on experience (“Newry is evolving into a commuter hub for Dublin. The strain is already showing,” January 18th).
I’d like to see a Minister sweating on an overheated, overcrowded Dart at 8.15am while it has to mysteriously stop for 10 minutes at Grand Canal station. Add a buggy with a fractious toddler who is heading to the only childcare they could find with places for additional points. Extra points also if it’s lashing rain, or the train is delayed because of leaves on the track.
On the way home, the Minister can only leave the office at 5pm but must collect the kids from the creche, minimum 13km away from the office, by 5.45pm. Extra points if the creche is in excess of 15km away from work.
I’d like to see a Minister attempt to get to a 9am meeting or lecture on time by taking two buses to cross the city – they can choose whether they’d prefer to start in Blackrock and get to DCU, or start in Phibsboro to get to Belfield.
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Points deducted for being late. Extra points if they have to wait more than 10 minutes for the connecting bus but still make it on time.
After this, we can see how they can live in Clare but commute to work in Cork, or Athlone while living in Leitrim. More challenges can be submitted by commuters across the country. Diary of a Minister on public transport could be the next Irish Times sensation. Give the people what they want. Then we’ll all move to Newry. – Yours, etc,
ALISON TREACY,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – The suggestions to improve transport services outlined by Ola Løkken Nordrum appear eminently sensible (Letters, January 22nd). He might consider submitting them to Dublin Bus, where they could earn €15,000, rather than to The Irish Times. – Yours, etc
CONOR McDONNELL,
Dundrum,
Dublin 16
Flu vaccines and older people
Sir, – We know from numerous studies that the standard-dose flu vaccine reduces the incidence of flu and hospitalisation from flu by around 50 per cent, +/– 20 per cent depending on the year and the flu virus type.
The argument in favour of high-dose flu vaccine/enhanced flu vaccine in the elderly has been a question of debate.
Just published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) are two studies in over 65 year olds. One from Denmark and the second from Spain compare the extra benefits of the enhanced vaccine.
In the Danish study, with 332,438 participants who underwent randomisation, 166,218 were assigned to receive the high-dose vaccine and 166,220 to receive the standard-dose vaccine. It showed a reduction in hospital admissions from flu by 43 per cent.
The Spanish study randomised 103,169 and it showed a reduction in hospital admissions from flu by 31 per cent.
The incidence of serious adverse effects was the same with both vaccines in both studies.
The accompanying editorial concluded: “The results of these two trials are consistent with previous data showing incremental benefit of the high-dose vaccine and support the recommendation in the United States that higher-dose or adjuvanted influenza vaccines are preferred over standard-dose vaccines for adults 65 years of age or older.
“In countries that do not yet use high-dose vaccine, these trials provide additional evidence of its benefit for policymakers.”
The Department of Health and the HSE will shortly be deciding on whether to get the standard-dose vaccine as they did this year for the over 65 year olds or the higher-dose vaccine.
These New England Journal of Medicine published studies will hopefully help them to choose the higher-dose flu vaccine for the elderly and thus lessen hospital admissions of this vulnerable group at a time of year when hospitals are overstretched. – Yours, etc,
J BERNARD WALSH,
Clinical Professor,
St James’s Hospital and Trinity College,
Dublin.
Dealing with Trump world
Sir, – It seems at times like US president Donald Trump is merely a figment of the imagination, a ridiculous illusion conjured up by some kind of fantasy fiction writer.
His flurry of maniacal midnight posts on Truth Social, his utter disregard for the transatlantic alliance, even his curious grammatical choices paint a picture of a deeply unserious man. And yet he is dead serious, about everything he says and does.
Keith Duggan’s suggestion that 2026 may prove to be Trump’s last year as “the only relevant player on the stage” is not as wild as some may think it to be. It may help to explain just exactly what Trump is doing here (“This might be Donald Trump’s last year as the only relevant player on stage,” January 20th).
The 47th US president is shaping his legacy. He no longer cares to the same extent about what the American people think. Instead, he is much more concerned about writing his name into the record books, about how he is viewed in the grand sweep of American presidential history.
There is a reason he invoked William McKinley in his inauguration speech exactly a year ago; there is a reason he has refashioned the Monroe Doctrine in his own particular style; there is a reason he is now intent on acquiring Greenland and effectively replacing the United Nations with his so-called Board of Peace.
All of these actions are part of an attempt to reshape America and indeed the world order, reinforce American supremacy and write himself into the record books as one of the most consequential presidents in history.
The trouble is he is frighteningly good at what he does. Trump, it must be said, often has a point. Many of the arguments he makes are somewhat valid, but his answer to them is to overreach spectacularly. On everything from Arctic security (Greenland), to immigration, to European defence spending and Nato, he starts off with a legitimate grievance, and then goes way beyond what is necessary.
He is now emboldened like never before. Expect the legacy building and the overreaching to continue. – Yours, etc,
THOMAS CONWAY,
Ballina,
Co Tipperary.
Sir, – Yesterday Donald Trump appeared to confuse Iceland with Greenland, while threatening Denmark because he was upset that Norway had not given him a prize, for among other claims, ending a war between Albania and Azerbaijan. It seems this is less 4D chess, and more Buckaroo with the global world order. – Yours, etc,
SHANE O’NEILL,
Bishopstown,
Cork.
Sir, – Listening to the recurring repetitive words of “cool . . . calm, rational dialogue . . . reasonable . . . engagement”, uttered by our Taoiseach Micheál Martin in response to whatever latest crazy outlandish demand comes from US president Donald Trump on managing the world his way, no matter how bizarre or unjust, I would ask him and others in Government: where is our red line?
Do we have one? Or are we waiting for the next act in this drama before considering that question?
How can you dialogue with a bully? We have seen that strong confrontation is the only thing that works to make Trump step back.
Are we in Europe going to continue to dance madly to the tune of a narcissistic, vain, power-grabbing individual suffering delusions of grandeur?
Europe does have its own power as outlined in the Opinion piece by Ben Tonra (“This crisis is not ultimately about Greenland. It’s about something much bigger,” January 20th).
Political will is what is needed here as in many other areas requiring implementation of necessary, but radical, change for the public good. Can our Government give a lead in the EU and stop bending over backwards in appeasement until our spine breaks?
Stand firm and support those in Europe who advocate firm action beyond mere words. It may cost us, but is a time coming when we will have to choose between economic expediency and democratic justice and equality – starting at home? – Yours, etc,
INGRID MASTERSON,
Churchtown,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – I often think of neutrality as akin to an altercation between two players on a football field. The row can escalate as players of both teams join in the fracas on behalf of their teammates.
Yet some players deliberately choose to remain neutral, recognising that restraint can be more important than involvement.
A few days back, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee voiced her support for the Denmark/ Greenland position against Donald Trump – dangerously joining the voices of the Nato countries. What right had she to do this? Ireland is a neutral country.
Our responsibility is to preserve our neutrality, stand apart from international melees, and keep sight of the broader picture. – Yours, etc,
PHILIP O’NEILL,
Ranelagh,
Dublin 6.
Israel and Palestine
Sir, – On Monday, responding to the news that Ireland has been invited to join US president Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee declared that the UN “has a unique mandate to maintain international peace and security”, and insisted that “Ireland’s commitment to the UN and the primacy of the UN Charter is without question”.
On Tuesday, Israeli bulldozers demolished buildings within a UN Palestinian refugee agency compound in Occupied East Jerusalem, with Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, triumphantly posing for a video as the buildings collapsed behind him.
Sadly, the self-assurance of Israeli authorities as they commit such blatant acts is entirely warranted; even governments such as ours that routinely invoke their regard for international law and champion the primacy of the UN are utterly unwilling to take concrete action to disincentivise the Israeli state’s expansion in the Occupied West Bank.
Between them, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have formed the backbone of successive governments that have blocked the Occupied Territories Bill, by one means or another, for seven years and counting.
Their record has been to assure Israeli authorities of continued impunity for such war crimes. Little wonder then that the Israeli government feels emboldened to do as they wish.
If our Government stand for anything, they must pass the Occupied Territories Bill in full, and fast. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN Ó ÉIGEARTAIGH,
Donnybrook,
Dublin 4.
Still waiting
Sir, – Easy peasy to beat Simon Blake’s Christmas postal record (Letters, January 22nd).
On December 16th, I posted, in Dunshaughlin, cards to people in Dunshaughlin, a short walk from where I posted the cards. They haven’t arrived yet. I win. – Yours, etc,
MARGARET McCANN,
Dunshaughlin,
Co Meath.
Cyclists and safety issues
Sir, – I agree wholeheartedly with Mary O’Sullivan (Letters, January 21st) regarding the urgent need for the Government to take action on the introduction of mandatory wearing of hi-vis jackets by cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists.
Back in 2020, I wrote to the then minister of state with responsibility for road safety, Hildegarde Naughton, to appeal for the introduction of such legislation.
I was very disappointed by the response, which was as follows:
“To create a statutory obligation on the wearing of reflective clothing would entail making it a criminal offence under Road Traffic legislation for any person guilty of not wearing high visibility clothing.
“A person in breach of such a provision would fall to be issued with a fixed charge notice or summonsed to court, depending on what procedure would be put in place for the processing of such offences. Minister Naughton believes that this would prove difficult to enforce and be regarded as a very severe step”.
Given that the number of road deaths has increased exponentially since then, exacerbated by the widespread use of e-scooters, it is now time for the officials in the Department of Transport to take a proactive approach and prepare legislation for the obligatory wearing of hi-visibility clothing and substantial on the spot fines for failure to do so. – Yours, etc,
ALISON FERGUSSON,
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.
Inclusion in schools
Sir, – I am writing in response to Derval McDonagh’s letter (January 22nd), in which she refers to reforming and resourcing schools so that all schools are appropriate for children. While this ambition is welcome, reform and resourcing alone are not sufficient.
The physical infrastructure of many of our schools was not designed with inclusion in mind and continues to present significant barriers.
Old buildings with narrow corridors, inaccessible toilets, poor acoustics, lack of sensory spaces, as well as overcrowded classrooms make genuine inclusion impossible for many children with disabilities, medical needs, and neurodivergent profiles.
No amount of goodwill or policy reform can compensate for buildings that are fundamentally unsuitable.
Too often, inclusion is treated as an attitudinal or pedagogical issue, placing the burden on schools and children to adapt to environments that actively exclude them.
This approach avoids the need for sustained capital investment and results in accommodation rather than true inclusion.
If all schools are to be appropriate for all children, accessibility and universal design must be treated as non-negotiable foundations. Without addressing the physical reality of our school buildings, claims of inclusive education remain hollow. – Yours, etc,
SANDRA DOODY,
Stillorgan,
Dublin.
Smooth operator
Sir, – In today’s Letters (January 22nd), Séamus McGowan seemed upset that Frank McNally was creased in his Irish Times on January 21st. Well, he was as smooth as usual in my Irish Times. – Yours, etc,
NORA Ní MHAOLCATHA,
Knocklyon,
Dublin 16.
Friendly faces at the airport
Sir, – While reading Sean Moncrieff’s column, “There are some things we do better than other countries”, (January 17th), I couldn’t help but recall our experiences travelling through US airports a few years back with our two boys then aged nine and seven.
It was shortly after 9/11 and every airport we went through we were met with stern, intimidating immigration officials.
On our return, departing from Washington, I was asked to step aside and questioned exhaustively because, it seemed, of a missing stamp of departure from years earlier – the result was we missed our flight back to Dublin. We had to stay overnight and book a new flight the following day.
Arriving into Dublin we were greeted by a warm, friendly faced, handsome, curly haired immigration official, who we will remember forever (might have been a Kerry accent).
My nine year old said: “Ma, I love Ireland.” – Yours, etc,
MARY P O’KANE,
Derry.
Speedy passport service
Sir, – Credit where credit is due: I applied online for passport renewal on Sunday evening, January 18th.
The new passport arrived in the post on Wednesday morning, January 21st. Thank you Department of Foreign Affairs. – Yours, etc,
TOM CLEARY,
Dublin 4.
