Irish Examiner view: Listening is an important precursor to change

Irish Examiner

14 hours ago

There was much proverbial gnashing of teeth and rending of raiment by environmental lobbyists when it was recently suggested that Ireland will miss its climate targets.
Ireland, as with many other states, has committed itself legally to transition to net zero by 2050. Financial penalties — to be paid to the EU — are put variously between €8bn and €26bn in an admonitory report from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and the Climate Change Advisory Council.
Future historians and legal students will no doubt debate the wisdom of committing to onerous and binding financial punishment on targets which are 25 years away. The list of missed goals, cost over-runs, and deadline failures, even of the last decade, is far too long to be catalogued here.
As we noted the 81st anniversary of D-Day, the largest collaborative operation in human history, on Friday it is worth recalling the words of its commander general (later US president) Dwight D Eisenhower. He was fond of saying: 'Plans are useless but planning is indispensable.'
It is in that context that we must recognise a court judgement which applies some constraints to corporate rights over those of individuals irrespective of the size, and urgency, of the environmental challenges we face.
A judgement handed down by Mr Justice Oisín Quinn sent something of a chilly breeze through an industry which has lately been basking in the sunshine of progress after Irish windfarms provided 38% of the country's electricity over the first three months of 2025.
But in this case operators of a windfarm in Co Wexford have been ordered to shut down three of their turbines and pay €360,000 damages to a couple over their commercial response to noise and nuisance complaints covering a dozen years.
ABO Energy Ireland Ltd and ABO Energy O&M Ireland Ltd, operators of the wind farm at Gibbet Hill, near Bunclody, along with its owner, Wexwind Ltd, also face a potential legal costs bill of €2.3m incurred by Raymond Byrne and Lorna Moorhead in their case.
In a 100-page judgement, Mr Justice Quinn, who refused to permit a stay to allow three turbines closest to the couple's home to partially operate in fixed hours, said the defendants failed to engage 'in any meaningful way' with the 'genuine and substantive' complaints made by the couple since the turbines became operational in 2013.
The judge added that the defendants' 'seriously unimpressive' approach represented a threat to the goal of developing wind farms and wind energy here. Addressing wind turbine noise in a substantial way was seen as 'critical' to the future success of wind as a major source of renewable energy.
This was 'one of the worst cases of wind farm noise impact', he added.
While the Bunclody case may be, as was suggested, 'an outlier' it is an important reminder of the need for consensus and agreement on changes which may have major and unforeseen impacts on people's lives.
To that end, it would be prudent to extend the consultation period over the proposed route for Cork's Luas line from Ballincollig to Mahon Point which is destined to radically reshape the city's transport options for the next 100 years.
Following what was described as a 'lively' public meeting, Transport Infrastructure Ireland has been asked to give people affected longer to study the 75-page technical report and feasibility study. A deadline was originally set for Monday for consultation.
While flow charts, and pinch points, and traffic management schemes may be the meat and drink of civil engineers, logistical experts, surveyors, and the like, they can take a little longer for the ordinary citizen to digest. The opportunity to ask questions and receive answers is an important part of this process. Spending time on it now is a critical investment in the future.
Tracking the sad history of rail death
As we recently pointed out, railways can be dangerous places. There has always been a risk around trains, and one which long predated the establishment of Iarnród Éireann 38 years ago.
The perils involved in working within the industry is dramatically illustrated in an ambitious data project initiated by Britain's National Archive — which has analysed, and made freely available online, records of railway worker accidents from 1900 to 1915 and from 1921 to 1939.
It's a Microsoft Excel-based treasure trove for the amateur genealogist and one which will be expanded over the years as part of the Railway Work, Life & Death project, run by the University of Portsmouth, the National Railway Museum, and the Modern Records Centre. Irish connections can be filtered.
In a time before health and safety legislation, there are many sad tales. The goods porter who was struck on the head by the hook of a steam crane; the Dublin shunter crushed when coupling some wagons; and to give the dangers a contemporary feel, the guard killed while crossing the line with parcels at Birdhill Station in Tipperary.
It's an impressive piece of voluntary work and the researchers would like to hear from anyone who has a story to tell or some artefacts to contribute.
To be or not to be. What is the question?
The secondary school principal who has pointed out that an increasing number of students no longer see college as a guaranteed route to a job, house, and financial stability may be something of a voice in the wilderness. However, we are often wise to listen to such opinions.
Áine Moran, of Sancta Maria College in Louisburgh, Co Mayo, said the Leaving Cert class of 2025 is no longer focused solely on Central Applications Office points. While education has great merits, it is no longer true that it protects a young person from poverty; and it may never pertain again.
'A lot of the traditional roles education brought people to today mean they still can't afford a house' says Ms Moran. 'The young people this Leaving Cert year are very savvy. Many feel they don't want to risk going to college to do a course and spend years learning a function for a job that can be done by AI in four years.' Second guessing where AI is taking us can be a debilitating experience but it is no surprise that so many believe that the route to riches, if not exactly security, lies through the computer screen.
Many young people, says Ms Moran, are interested in building online businesses and being profitable 'influencers' on YouTube and TikTok.
'Some are making a lot of money,' she adds.
At this age, it is a bad idea to rain on anyone's parade and there is perhaps a subliminal recognition of the modes of modern communication in some of this year's test papers.
Particularly controversial has been the inclusion within Junior Cycle English of a short story question. It asked the examinee to comment on how the use of a setting had a vital influence on a short story they had studied.
Although there has been an explosive resurgence in the popularity of short stories in recent years, some academic critics view them largely as a stepping stone to more detailed novels requiring deeper analysis.
Other criticisms were applied to a question that asked students to imagine they are a contributor to a podcast.
We must deal in the creative lexicon of our times and there is no doubt that podcasts, and audiobooks, have stimulated interest in literature in general. The examiners strived to keep matters topical by including a speech from Margaret Attwood and an extract from the 2024 Booker Prize winner Orbital.
It's easy to imagine that the Shakespearean text King Lear — which asked students to construct a discussion between two characters — could easily be set as a Black Mirror encounter between Goneril and Regan. Is there a showrunner in the house?
Ms Moran says her main advice to students is to get their Leaving Cert in their back pocket. Many more people are pursuing trade-focused courses such as architecture, construction, and engineering. There has been a 25% increase in nursing applications and a 41% rise in people choosing dentistry.
In the future, nearly everyone will have more than one career. We need you all. That's what education should give you ... the ability to choose.
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