Racism and Northern Ireland
Sir, – I have just returned home to Northern Ireland from a funeral in Dublin today of a dear friend of my wife who also passed away only a couple of weeks ago.
I met some delightful young people who were appalled at the racial prejudice shown on our streets in the past week. They are aware of course of similar incidents in the Republic.
I find that our future is in good hands with the positive attitude of these young people in rejecting racism in all its forms.
I'm in my 80s and have witnessed Northern Ireland before the Troubles.
READ MORE
My wife and I raised three delightful children during those times and am now experiencing the aftermath of the peace process.
The people who are being abused, as we know, are fleeing from hatred and violence to seek refuge in our beautiful country. We should be privileged with their choices.
Unfortunately, our political leaders from both sides of our divide have shown poor leadership in confronting the events of the past week. I fully support the PSNI but they have not had their finest hour.
Our leaders on both sides of the Border need to show solidarity in finding a resolution to this serious problem. – Yours, etc,
GERRY MCQUILLAN,
Saintfield,
Co Down.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ireland's clean energy transition mired in policy gridlock, report claims
Ireland's clean energy transition is mired in 'policy gridlock and incoherence', lobby group Ibec has claimed. In a new report, the employers' group is highly critical of what it describes as the lack of a 'clear and compelling vision' for what a net-zero economy 'means and looks like in practice'. The reduction in emissions is not happening fast enough because the State is struggling 'to decouple economic growth from emissions growth', particularly in the transport and enterprise sectors, it said. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) projects that emissions cumulatively across all sectors are set to fall by 9 to 23 per cent this decade on 2018 levels, well below the national goal of 51 per cent. READ MORE The 2024 Draghi report on EU competitiveness stated that Ireland had the worst permit-granting process for onshore wind at nine years, 50 per cent slower than the EU average and three times longer than the process in Finland. 'There are several technology-specific strategies, policy frameworks, action plans, and initiatives, but no central co-ordinating office or instrument,' Ibec said in its report. 'Ownership of the transition is widely spread across government departments and agencies with no single authority able to resolve interdepartmental conflicts, solve problems, direct resources, and make decisions where trade-offs are necessary,' it said. The main consequence of this policy gridlock is regulatory and investment uncertainty, it said. Ibec said the State must play a more active and hands-on role funding the energy transition. 'In practice this means scaling up and developing new capital and operational supports for renewable technologies with more generous incentives,' it said. Ibec also claimed energy costs could be reduced by replacing Ireland's electricity public service obligation with a dedicated fund and reducing other energy fixed costs through direct state investment in energy networks and enabling infrastructure. It claimed this level of intervention was going on in other EU countries while Ireland was uniquely placed to pursue a more active role given its access to significant capital through the Climate and Nature Fund (€3.1 billion), annual carbon tax funds (€900 million). Ibec noted that the estimates suggest Ireland's energy transition could cost up to €200 billion over the next 25 years with at least €17 billion needed each year by the year 2030. 'The State has a critical role in mobilising, derisking and crowding-in this private investment through targeted supports. It must also be prepared to step-in where there is market failure,' it said. In its report, the business lobby said Ireland faces 'an enormous challenge' to get its net zero process back on track while noting the task has not been made any easier by the current economic and geopolitical environment. 'A slowdown in the world economy and the closing of Chinese markets for US oil and gas could lead to lower gas prices further threatening the business case for costly climate solutions and investment in renewables,' it said.
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
Racism and Northern Ireland
Sir, – I have just returned home to Northern Ireland from a funeral in Dublin today of a dear friend of my wife who also passed away only a couple of weeks ago. I met some delightful young people who were appalled at the racial prejudice shown on our streets in the past week. They are aware of course of similar incidents in the Republic. I find that our future is in good hands with the positive attitude of these young people in rejecting racism in all its forms. I'm in my 80s and have witnessed Northern Ireland before the Troubles. READ MORE My wife and I raised three delightful children during those times and am now experiencing the aftermath of the peace process. The people who are being abused, as we know, are fleeing from hatred and violence to seek refuge in our beautiful country. We should be privileged with their choices. Unfortunately, our political leaders from both sides of our divide have shown poor leadership in confronting the events of the past week. I fully support the PSNI but they have not had their finest hour. Our leaders on both sides of the Border need to show solidarity in finding a resolution to this serious problem. – Yours, etc, GERRY MCQUILLAN, Saintfield, Co Down.
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
Mobile bans in schools do not have any impact on student grades or wellbeing, study finds
There is no evidence that smartphone bans in schools have any impact on students' wellbeing or academic performance, according to a study from Dublin City University (DCU). The findings come as Minister for Education Helen McEntee invites schools to apply for a €9 million fund for phone pouches and other storage solutions for second-level schools to help implement phone restrictions. Researchers examined international research on smartphone bans and related research on the use of the devices among children and adolescents. The report finds the international research is 'clearly mixed and somewhat conflicting', with most studies showing that smartphone ban policies have had 'little or no impact on education and wellbeing among students' in different countries. READ MORE The study, entitled Restriction or Resilience? Smartphone Bans in Schools: A Qualitative Study of the Experiences of Students , finds the stricter the phone ban, the more students look for ways to subvert it. Researchers also conducted focus groups with students in schools in Ireland about their experiences and understanding of smartphone bans. Students said they were not taught enough in school about online safety and digital citizenship, leading them to rely on their peers for guidance and skills. The report also found students' voices have not been included in decision-making on smartphone restrictions within schools. The report recommends further research and that student voices be empowered in initiatives that directly affect them, as well as appropriate regulation of social media companies. Megan Reynolds, lead author of the report, said the research shows we 'need to listen to students on issues that directly impact them'. This, said Dr Reynolds, would provide an opportunity for 'more nuanced conversations on smartphones'. 'With this research, we can ensure that we are supporting both students and teachers on the topic of smartphone bans in schools and create a meaningful change for all involved' she said. Ms McEntee announced guidance for post-primary schools last week, which requires them to restrict mobile phone use during the school day. She said she was confident the policy 'will support student wellbeing, engagement and their interaction with their peers, while also recognising the experience and expertise of school communities and the need for consultation'. The Minister said schools should develop their policies in consultation with students, parents and teachers on what measures work best for their school community and their students. 'Students should not be on their phones during the school day; this guidance and support will ensure all schools have the supports they need to achieve this, having regard to their own requirements,' she said. Ms McEntee said her department continues to invest in developing digital literacy of our children and young people through programmes such as Webwise and teacher-training initiatives. Many schools that have implemented smartphone bans using phone pouches and other forms of storage say the measures have had a positive impact. Eileen O'Donnell, principal of St Raphaela's Secondary School in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, said there are fewer distractions during class and students are interacting more at break times. 'We tried it [phone pouches] for a year, initially, but we wouldn't go back now,' she said. 'Students may not like it, but they are the first to admit they are not being distracted and going down rabbit holes. There's definitely more conversation at break and lunchtime.' However, Kevin Shortall, principal of St Aidan's Community School in Tallaght, Dublin, said access to phones has proven useful for many students. 'We have no digital resources or one-to-one devices here, so they have been useful for students, especially those whose first language isn't English,' he said. 'Any issues, like cyberbullying or students being left out, are happening outside school time.'
