Letters to the Editor, July 19th: On apologising to Ireland, long holidays and Lidl

Irish Times

19-07-2025

Sir, – Dear Ireland, please accept, from this American visiting Dublin at the moment, a sincere apology for our US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee's recent post on X denigrating the Irish people.
Mr Huckabee is looking for an apology from you, but it's he who ought to to be apologising for his ham-fisted, insulting use of colonial-era tropes to criticise your principled attempt to denounce the ongoing barbaric obliteration of Gaza.
In this, the ambassador, like many other appointees in our current befouled administration, in his dull mimicry, is just emulating the crude, derogatory nature of his leader in a pitiful attempt to please the one who has set the tone for this new era of American barbarism.
For this and so much more, many of us would want to apologise, for we are living in shame, and are increasingly determined, at the next lawful opportunity which presents itself, to make the changes necessary to bring this already too-long national nightmare to an end. Yours, etc,
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Andrias O'Loinsiagh,
New York.
Sir, – The undiplomatic and insulting language use by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, condemning Ireland and threatening us with harm for expressing our sovereign right in bringing forward the Occupied Territories Bill is unbecoming of the most powerful democratic state in the world.
Were similar language used against Israel the US would rightly condemn it. – Yours, etc,
PHILIP CARR,
Roscrea,
Co Tipperary.
Sir, – Martyn Turner brilliantly satirises US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee's invocation for the Irish people to 'sober up' in relation to the ongoing Gaza genocide by depicting him a vat of Trumpism offering us a drink from his Kool-Aid.
A picture can indeed paint a thousand words. – Yours, etc,
JOHN NAUGHTON,
Leopardstown,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – Danny McCoy, the head of the employers' association, Ibec, has told us that the Occupied Territories Bill would be mere 'moral positioning', as if that is a cutting retort to those who say we should enact this legal measure ('
No real evidence Occupied Territories Bill would cost Ireland dearly, Amnesty chief says
,' July 17th).
Morality. Is that now quaint? A laughable concept when profits and commercial markets are at stake?
The death toll in Gaza is currently more than 58,000. We see a heavily curated version of the slaughter on our television screens every night, but it is still stomach-churning. Dead and injured children being hurried to half-bombed hospitals.
When will it be too much? Or will the US and Israel and self-interest forever prevail? – Yours, etc.,
FINTAN LANE,
Pefkohori,
Greece.
Sir,– Danny McCoy, cites concerns about the consequences for business if the Occupied Territories Bill is enacted by the Irish Government, going so far as to suggest such action reveals 'moral positioning' and 'hypocrisy'.
One might ask Mr McCoy what is so objectionable about adopting a moral position?
More pertinent however is his concerns about the impact on Irish businesses.
I do not recall a single statement from Mr McCoy or Ibec criticising the widespread adoption of sanctions against Russia following its invasion and occupation of eastern Ukraine in February 2022.
These sanctions caused energy and food costs inflation adding significantly to the cost of living crisis being felt by every household in Ireland.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice advised states must refrain from any economic, trade or investment dealings connected to Israeli activities in the occupied Palestian territories.
As such, the Irish Government is merely fulfilling its obligations under international law.
It would appear Mr McCoy applies different standards when it comes to differentiating between Russian and Israeli occupations.
There's a word for that! – Yours, etc,
THOMAS McBRIDE,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.
An all-Ireland league
Sir, –Thankfully the two legs of the Shelbourne versus Linfield tie in the UEFA Champions League qualifying passed off without any serious incidents.
I watched and enjoyed both matches, and can't help but wonder if we will ever have an All-Ireland league where such ties could become the norm rather than an occasional treat thrown up by the UEFA computer. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN QUIGLEY,
Drumcondra,
Dublin.
Defining the presidency
Sir, – Justine McCarthy in her column '
Presidency is not a Rose of Tralee contest for over-35s. Some qualities are non-negotiable- negotiable,
' (July 18th) advocates for a president that would represent her personal political opinions.
The optimal way to achieve this would be to become the successful candidate in the ballot herself. – Yours, etc,
PAT NAUGHTON,
Lucan,
Dublin.
Sir, – Justine McCarthy outlines a very interesting blueprint for what she wants in a president.
We should count our blessings that she didn't list them before Michael D. Higgins became our president.
His outspokenness would have known no bounds at all, at all. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL GANNON,
Kilkenny.
Sir, – Tom Kelly (Letters, July 16th) outlines his qualities that would enable him to be a great president.
I share most of these qualities with him and if we could both get nominations it would be an interesting contest. – Yours, etc.,
RICHARD ALLEN,
Cummeen,
Sligo.
Long summer holidays
Sir, – I refer to your letter by Gerard Reynolds in defence of long summer holidays stating that this is the only real break that children get.
This is simply not the case. Children get two mid-term breaks, usually a week each, two weeks at Christmas and two weeks at Easter. That's six weeks of real breaks.
As a working parent, I am all too aware of the long summer holidays and do my best to plan ahead combining annual leave, parental leave and summer camps.
For many working parents it's the ad hoc days that cause even more stress. Half days here and there, days off for training, days off for bad weather, days off for voting, half days after Christmas plays, etc, that cause more of an issue.
If I was to use my annual leave for all the days my children's school will be closed between January and June 2026 I'd use up the majority of my leave. And these confirmed dates are before any of the ad hoc ones are thrown into the mix.
No wonder working parents dread and just endure summer holidays.
The Government could help address the issue by making parental leave paid (perhaps €289 per week like maternity, paternity and parents leave?) and they should also extend the use of this leave into secondary school. Currently, a parent must use it by the child's 12th birthday.
Making parental leave paid would help support working parents, reduce the loss of income and give them more choice. It won't solve the problem but it's a start. – Yours, etc,
SIOBHÁN McDERMOTT,
Killester,
Dublin 5.
Sir, – Apropos the length of school summer holidays: when I was a schoolboy back in the 1960s, they went on for ever.
Nowadays, the same length of time seems infinitely shorter. Shrinkflation? – Yours, etc,
HUGH Mc DONNELL,
Glasnevin,
Dublin 9
Deferral of alcohol labelling
Sir, – The upcoming Government decision to delay the introduction of labels on alcohol products is a massive retrograde step in the face of intense lobbying from vested interests.
The decision to delay the legislation for three years will come at a huge cost.
More than 15,000 babies will be born with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder with lifelong complications. More than 4,000 cancer cases from alcohol will need to be treated- with economic implications from both conditions that have not been addressed as well as the devastation to families that those conditions imply.
The alcohol industry peddles disinformation at every turn because they know that alcohol labelling may lead to a significant decrease in consumption that impacts on profits.
Alcohol kills 1,500 people a year in Ireland. What is less evident is it costs the exchequer €2 billion annually in health, justice and lost productivity.
Labelling saves lives. It tells the facts, and it plays a role in changing attitudes to consumption.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has a global reputation as a public health leader with the introduction of legislation on smoking regulations that acted as a template for transformation of attitudes to smoking in the workplace.
It is time to cement that legacy by resisting intense pressure and disinformation from the alcohol industry that will have lifelong implications for adults, children and those not yet born. – Yours, etc,
DR CATHERINE CONLON,
Former director of human health
and nutrition, safefood,
Ballintemple,
Cork.
Temple Hill babies
Sir, – I wish to thank Rachel Fehily for her article, '
Why are the experiences of the Temple Hill babies forgotten
?', (July 16th). I spent the first 10 weeks of my life in Temple Hill.
I can find no account or record of my time there, except for the dates of my admittance and adoption. The records from Temple Hill appear to have disappeared.
Like Rachel. I was adopted by a loving, wonderful family. But, as a qualified psychotherapist, I know only too well the importance of early bonding for the development of a secure attachment in the early weeks and months of a child's life.
Being in the dark about who cared for us in those vital first weeks, can add to feelings of insecurity and uncertainty, that in many cases, lasts a lifetime. There are still many dark places connected to the mother and baby homes, which need to be illuminated. Temple Hill is one such place. – Yours, etc,
HELEN BRENNAN,
Bangor Road,
Dublin 12.
NTMA and scams
Sir, – With regards the recent €5 million scam, will the NTMA advise, whether or not, it was the victim of 'The Nigerian general' scam, also known as 'Scam 419'.
This involves a request for a small amount of money in order to free up a much larger amount.
It's very sophisticated. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN CULLEN,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
Not so fresh thinking?
Sir, – For some time you have been publishing an advertisement for The Irish Times delivery service.
The advertisement carries the slogan 'Fresh thinking, delivered daily,' and depicts a newspaper delivered with two glass milk bottles.
My problem is that I struggle to remember how long it is since I saw a morning delivery of milk in glass bottles.
Fresh thinking needed perhaps? – Yours, etc,
GORDON HENDERSON,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Lidl's 25 years in Ireland
Sir, – In yet another Irish Times article featuring Lidl, 'Lidl in Ireland turns 25' July 14th, Conor Pope fails to mention the company's links to Israel.
Two examples are worth noting. First, some Lupilu products are manufactured in Ashdod, Israel, which may be relevant in the context of Ireland's boycott of goods produced in the Occupied Territories.
Second, Lidl's parent company, the Schwarz Group, acquired XM Cyber in 2021 – a cybersecurity firm founded by former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo (the 'XM' stands for 'ex-Mossad'). The group has since invested hundreds of millions into the company. Perhaps this is why, as Pope notes in point three of his article, 'the Schwarz family were not overly keen on publicity then and still aren't today.' – Yours, etc,
RICHARD WILSON,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – I am wondering if the full page in Pricewatch on Lidl constitutes an advertisement for Lidl or a genuine information article. – Yours, etc,
MARGARET McGrath,
Castlecomer,
Co Kilkenny.
Forgotten faux pas
Sir, – Tánaiste Simon Harris chose to repeatedly castigate Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty in the Dáil this week over his error in saying that Supervalu was owned by an American company with a similar name.
Has he forgotten that as minister for health in 2020 he said during a radio interview that there were 18 other coronaviruses before Covid-19, with no cure found for any of them?
Perhaps he should remember the Biblical advice 'look not for the mote in your brother's eye, but the log in your own' . – Yours, etc,
DONAL McGRATH,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – It is disheartening to listen to Simon Harris slag Pearse Doherty off for mistakenly identifying the owners of SuperValu being an American multinational.
Our health service is in disarray, our education system is underfunded, our children are emigrating, surely these are some, of the many, issues that actually matter!
It really is a sad state of affairs that our Tánaiste, the same individual that believed that there were 18 Covids before Covid-19, can become so easily and gleefully immature by another TD's harmless error. – Yours, etc,
JASON POWER,
Galway.
A letters let-off
Sir, – Who lets the letters go forward to print?
That's the person who decides the 'personality' of the Letters page.
Over the years, you published 95 letters from my late friend Graeme Guthrie. They were all whimsical, clever, funny, punny, wry, observant, unexpected, and at times beautiful in their appreciation of nature.
And they contributed hugely to the pleasure of reading the Letters page. I miss him.
A little more of that irreverent humour might be appropriate in these somewhat grim times! – Yours, etc,
TERRY PATTISON,
Glenageary,
Dublin.