Future Forty and migration
Sir, – The Department of Finance’s Future Forty report rightly highlights Ireland’s ageing population and the importance of migration in sustaining the country’s labour force. The Minister for Finance’s contribution to The Irish Times earlier this week focuses centrally on the need for skilled migration (“Continued skilled inward migration will be vital to our future,” Opinion, November 4th).
Yet the report’s central scenario projects that family reunification will account for roughly 35 per cent of all net migration by 2065, while employment-related migration makes up about 30 per cent. In other words, most of the population growth attributed to migration will come from dependents rather than from workers directly filling skills shortages.
Despite this, the report treats total net migration as a near-synonym for new labour supply. It makes no serious attempt to model the labour market participation or fiscal contribution of family migrants, even though evidence from Denmark and the Netherlands shows that family and protection migrants often have lower employment rates and higher, long-term fiscal costs than labour migrants.
Ireland may well need migration to offset demographic decline, but composition matters as much as volume. If the future inflow is driven by non-EU family reunification, the assumption that migration will automatically relieve skills shortages or strengthen the Exchequer is questionable. – Yours, etc,
RM Block
GARY MURPHY,
Blackrock,
Cork.
Argentina versus Australia
Sir, – In taking issue with David McWilliams’s portrayal of Australia as the more successful counterpart of Argentina, John Suttle argues that Argentina has taken a “more relaxed” and human approach to life, prioritising happiness over economic growth (Letters, November 4th).
It’s notable that large numbers of Irish people leave Ireland for Australia nowadays. In so doing they leave a country that rates about 20th in the world for happiness to go to one that’s about 10th. Argentina is well outside the top 30.
Pointing out that Australia through its history has taken “a pristine, undamaged part of the world” and exploited it through mining, he implies that Argentina has taken a laudable moral position on the environment.
Clearly the name Argentina suggests a link to silver mining, in particular, and it remains a significant exporter of chemicals, pesticides, with a growing sector in lithium and copper mining.
It is probably and unfortunately true that, for the happiness of its people to increase, it is likely that the proceeds of these endeavours will need to be wisely used and widely distributed. Separating the happiness of a population from economic prosperity, despite what we might wish, is very difficult. – Yours etc,
BRIAN O’BRIEN,
Kinsale,
Co Cork.
Poppy refuseniks
Sir, – I refer to Mark Paul’s article on the poppy in today’s paper (“British media always remembers to see red over Irish poppy refuseniks,” World News, November 4th). He mentions that his own granduncle died in the first World War and comments: ‘’I never felt the need to wear a poppy for him, his story was typical of the time.’’ I do not feel he has done his granduncle justice.
I have a very similar experience, where my granduncle died at the Somme. Last year I had the privilege of visiting his grave at Guillemont in a beautiful rural setting. It is a powerful and evocative experience and you cannot help but be moved by the visit.
I never had a strong opinion as to the merit of wearing a poppy, but after that experience it reinforces the need to recognise their sacrifice . – Yours, etc,
PHILIP BLACK,
Malone,
Belfast,
Co Antrim.
Future of the left in Ireland
Sir, – While I found Madeleine Johansson’s opinion piece mostly excellent (“Left alliance must come with a warning for workers,” Opinion, November 1st), I disagree with her opposition to participating in a left alliance government.
As a lifelong socialist, trade unionist and political and social activist, the failure of the left to present a united platform in opposition to the two main centre-right parties and their so-called “independent” supporters has denied people the chance to once and for all put an end to over 100 years of right-wing, capitalist rule in Ireland.
We are the only EU country never to have had a socialist government and the price we have paid for this has been huge. “Popular frontism,” as such left unity is often called, may not always bring about revolutionary change but it has historically brought many benefits to working people across Europe.
To actually pose the question to the electorate as to whether they want “more of the same” or a radical, new approach, based on principles of social justice, fairness and anti-imperialism, could be a game-changer.
This will need clear articulation, agreement on major issues and a unity of purpose which has so far been lacking on the left. Just because some parties may not be Marxist enough for Red Network or People Before Profit is not sufficient reason for them to stay outside a united-left platform. Join up and get as many of your policies as you can on to the statute books. One-hundred-and-four years of Tory-like rule has been enough. – Yours, etc,
DENIS KENNY,
Thurles,
Co Tipperary.
Sir, – Zohran Mamdani’s meteoric rise to become New York’s 111th mayor is already being studied closely by those wishing to repeat his electoral success in Europe. Yes, take note of his savvy social media campaign and his clear messaging on the cost-of-living crisis. But also take note of how he snapped, clapped, and fought back. And how in many cases, he punched first – all the while wearing a smile.
This abrasive style, interwoven with a message of hope, worked: the world’s financial capital is now set for a self-proclaimed socialist in its city hall.
And while there is truth that this approach may contribute to our era’s divisive politics, in the face of billionaire donors, anti-democratic threats by the US president, racism, xenophobia, misinformation, and fear-mongering, Mamdani had to play tough.
It’s nine years since Michelle Obama told Democrats that when Republicans “go low, we go high”. Mamdani invited Donald Trump to “turn the volume up”. European progressives, are you listening?
SAUL KENNY,
Brussels.
Belgium.
Mass is different here
Sir, – I agree that mass is different in Ireland (“Mass is less ‘exuberant’ here: Ireland’s new parishioners,” Home News, November 5th). I live in Galway and have attended several churches. What I miss from the United States is the invitation to participate beyond rote responses. For example, most churches don’t have missals with the order of mass and readings, nor are there hymnals for singing.
St Augustine said: “He who sings, prays twice.” Here, singing seems to be reserved for choirs. The exchange of the sign of peace greeting seems perfunctory if it is encouraged at all. There isn’t holy water in many fonts or wine with communion. It is rare to find a priest who greets people after mass consistently, if at all.
This isn’t a condemnation. It is a lamentation longing for more than a spectator event; one where the parishioner is part of the liturgy and life of the church. Maybe the synodal process will yield some movement in this direction in the future. – Yours, etc,
KATHLEEN NORTON,
Salthill,
Galway.
RTÉ documentary unit
Sir, – The termination by RTÉ management of the station’s in-house TV documentary unit (“RTÉ set to close documentary unit,” Home News, November 6th) is further evidence of its policy of transforming the national public service media company into a publisher-broadcaster.
That policy is being pursued through apparently disconnected changes, without any public discussion of the consequences for stable employment in the media sector, the editorial independence of programme-makers, the effect on the commercial production sector, the concentration of editorial power in the hands of a small number of commissioning executives, or – most importantly – the impact on the nature and quality of the programmes we watch.
If RTÉ will not promote such a discussion, it is time for Minister for Media Patrick O’Donovan, who is responsible for the future of our public service media, to do so. – Yours, etc,
DAVID McKENNA,
RTÉ TV producer, commissioning executive, broadcast compliance, 1988–2018,
Dublin 8
The right to fly
Sir, – Paul O’Shea of Planet Before Profit suggests that the right to fly should be exercised with restraint rather than entitlement (Letters, November 5th). The trouble is that the people who do show restraint will end up hit hardest by his “polluter pays” ideas, while the deep-pocketed fliers – corporate elites, the upper middle classes, and private jet owners – can shrug off the costs.
According to a UK survey (by the Guardian in 2020) roughly 75–80 per cent of flights are taken by just 10 per cent of people, and the inequality deepens: the richest 1 per cent are responsible for about half of all aviation emissions, because they fly farther and more often.
Needless to say, taxing flights barely touches the top 1 per cent, who are largely price-insensitive. Unless the goal is to end long-haul aviation entirely, there is no realistic path to zero-carbon jet flight, not without carbon extraction. Even medium haul electric jets are a fantasy right now, as batteries are nowhere near energy-dense enough for large aircraft.
Luckily, that’s where the “net” in net zero comes in: we electrify and decarbonise sectors where we can, and remove carbon elsewhere to balance the rest. Aviation itself contributes about 2 per cent of global CO₂ emissions, and tinkering with taxes can at best slightly trim that figure.
Best to concentrate on carbon fixes elsewhere.
EOIN NORRIS,
Clonmel,
Co Tipperary
Role for environmental mediation
Sir, – Even before it has fully come into effect, the Planning and Development Act 2023 is already being recognised as inadequate, unable to facilitate society’s strategic development requirements within a reasonable timescale, if at all.
Already, the Government is considering new legislation which would set aside the Act in order to fast-track essential projects (The accusations and counter-accusations between proposers and community groups have already started.
Some may see environmental conflict as a natural manifestation of a democratic, free-market economy. But the reality is that our planning system is an adversarial process, one which turns conflict into dispute which very often stymies worthy projects and impoverishes objectors. This adversarial process works in such a way that the proposers and those affected may go through the whole process from planning application to judicial review without ever sitting down to talk to one another. We need to provide a forum for negotiation – environmental mediation. And our planning regulations need to facilitate it.
The Scottish Executive, development department (2007), defines mediation as being: “a process involving an independent third party whose role is to help parties to identify the real issues between them, their concerns and needs, the options for resolving matters and, where possible, a solution which is acceptable to all concerned.”
I suggest that mediation will be essential in the context of the impending legislation for fast-tracking certain strategic development projects, where the rights of potential objectors are likely to be curtailed.
Environmental mediation is already well-established in a number of countries, in particular Australia and New Zealand, while in the UK the national planning forum has recommended the introduction of a planning mediation service. Mediation/neutral facilitation has been used worldwide as a means of achieving community consensus on local area development and large-scale utilities projects.
Is it too late for Government to consider mediation? – Yours etc
JOHN DEATON,
Dundrum,
Dublin 14.
