Letters to the Editor: Supporting young people

Irish Examiner

23-05-2025

I was heartened to read the article on the importance of supporting young people and the role of youth services in their lives. It is encouraging to see national attention being given to the environments and relationships that shape young people's development.
At the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), we believe youth work is not just a 'nice to have' — it is essential. Youth work offers young people the safe spaces and opportunities to explore who they are, build confidence, and connect meaningfully with their communities. These are not luxuries; they are the foundations of a strong, inclusive society.
To ensure youth services are resilient, responsive, and reflective in meeting the needs of young people, we must secure equitable, sustainable, and adequate baseline funding. Not only must we strive to expand access to youth work, but we must also protect and strengthen the services that already exist. These services are lifelines for many young people, and their value must be recognised in policy and practice.
Minister Helen McEntee, in her role within the new Department of Education and Youth, has a unique opportunity to forge an exciting path for youth work in Ireland. The upcoming review of the National Development Plan is a perfect moment to prioritise youth places and spaces, and to build communities with young people at their heart.
Let's move forward with a shared vision: One where every young
person in Ireland has the support, opportunities, and environments they need to thrive.
Mary Cunningham
National Youth Council of Ireland, Dublin 2
Starvation in Gaza
On May 17, President Michael D Higgins spoke at the National Famine Commemoration. He referred to the forced starvation of the Gazan population and the use of starvation as an instrument of war.
On the same day in Skibbereen, Co Cork, home of the Great Irish Famine Exhibition, the Gazan writer and film producer Nasser Al-Swirki spoke at the weekly Palestine solidarity March.
Nasser described his most recent and harrowing communication with family members surviving in Gaza. They told him they are now eating grass in an attempt to ease the hunger.
We cannot say we didn't know.
Sharron Toner
Bandon, Co Cork
Sham democracy
There have been a number of commentators telling us the US is barely a democracy anymore or is hopelessly corrupt. Perhaps it is time for a reminder of the type of world we Europeans inhabit before we lecture the US on democracy.
It may be true that US congress has corrupt congressmen and women, it may be true that they are lobbied with buckets of money. But the congress members that US citizens vote for have real legislative power. They can propose laws. They can vote on laws. They can repeal laws.
What do we have that's so brilliant in the EU by comparison? The MEPs we elect to represent us cannot propose or make laws, they exist mainly to rubberstamp decisions made by the entirely unelected 27-member European Commission. Let that sink in.
27 people, none of whom have ever faced an electorate for their position in the commission, none of whom we voted or chose for ourselves, most of whom the average EU citizen would be unable to even name, decide all new laws that will be made and affect the entire EU block.
The EU is a sham democracy ruled by an unelected EU Commission wrapped in a sham of a Parliament and flag with no real power. If we had an actual democracy in the EU we'd be in a better position to lecture the US on theirs.
Nick Folley
Carrigaline, Co Cork
Do-nothing Dáil
One can only agree with Fergus Finlay's assessment of the current Dáil as a 'do-nothing' parliament. Indeed, his recent column ought to be laminated, and despatched to every one of our elected representatives. With the emphasis on 'our' elected representatives.
Peter Declan O'Halloran
Belturbet, Co Cavan
What is happening?
I applaud Fergus Finlay for his wonderful article on Tuesday's Irish Examiner ('Our leaders are running 'a do-nothing' parliament and it's offensive'). I totally concur with Mr Finlay.
Our life expectancy isn't worth much if our Government is unable to deal with our housing and disability crises. We have become immune to the drab, dreary, and sombre weekly agenda that the Government serves the public. So much of it is taken up with statements and debates on Gaza, Ukraine, US tariffs, biodiversity, and world-class education.
Mr Finlay is right to ask what the hell is happening in Ireland? Our leaders are going around the place telling the rest of the world how to do their business, and at home they are running a do-nothing parliament.
Mr Finlay looks at the programme for government and says that out of more than 150 bills in the programme, they are hoping to 'publish' 21. They have 29 listed for priority drafting and 64 are not drafted, not written and not ready to be enacted at any time this year.
It's my contention that the Irish political system of accountability isn't keeping up with the realities of modern government. I believe this leads to repeated failures, which harm the public and undermine trust in our institutions.
I believe that the accountable government is the type of government which is responsible and answerable to the public which has elected the government through their representatives.
John O'Brien
Clonmel, Co Tipperary
€2 levy welcome
As one who, for many years, has advocated for the proactive concept of taxation at the point of waste creation in contrast to the present reactionary method in this country, where taxation is not contemplated until it is about to be deposed, I welcome the decision of the EU to impose a flat fee of €2 on each of the billions of low-value packages coming into the European bloc.
Tadhg O'Donovan
Fermoy, Co Cork
Elite wrong again
How many times can the western "elite and educated" be wrong? Within my lifetime "they" got it wrong on the following.
Dying western empires thought they would always be superior; Winston Churchill couldn't understand why the Irish couldn't be more English and Emmanuel Macron complained that African countries, formerly within their empire, didn't say thank you.
Racism in the US, apartheid in South Africa, and discrimination in Ireland were all defended by versions of that 'elite'.
Now it has taken years of profound suffering, thousands killed, aid blocked until five lorries didn't deliver anything, to prompt the so-called elite to say something about the mind-numbing situation in Gaza (never mind the West Bank). Language and standards have been brutalised until humanitarian values are all but lost.
If the dollars are still sent to Tel Aviv, it can only lead to a deepening stain on humanity and yet another western blind spot.
Dr Billy Leonard
Kilkee, Co Clare
Enough is enough
Night after night, our TVs bombard us with images that paint a stark and devastating picture of the Gaza Strip. We have witnessed bombardment after bombardment of Israeli missiles launched on civilian targets — hospitals, schools, and residential areas. We have been inundated with images of young children killed or maimed, and parents utterly distraught.
It is time to call this what it is: Pure and simple genocide.
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert himself stated that the Israeli Gaza offensive is approaching 'a war crime'.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it appears, is seeking control of the entire Gaza Strip while allowing only minimal aid. The international community is finally beginning to see this for what it is.
The Gaza Strip now resembles little more than a concentration camp; the historical parallels are stark, obvious, and heartbreaking. The international community has said 'enough is enough,' and the Israeli people themselves now need to rise up and say very clearly to their government, 'enough is enough, and not in our name'.
Let us be very clear: The hostages taken on October 7 must be returned without further delay. The attack on October 7 was an act of debased depravity perpetrated by a terrorist organisation that has no place in a decent world.
However, the response has proven disproportionate, with the majority of those killed in the Strip being innocent civilians, women, and children. Enough really is enough!
Killian Brennan
Malahide Rd, Dublin 17
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