Jennifer Horgan: Bono was right to criticise Hamas along with Israel - peacemakers are rarely popular
Bono's not even the greatest front man in Dublin, never mind the history of the world...
Bono is an opportunist who sold his soul long ago... Free Palestine!
The criticism has been rolling in against Bono online, in response to his recent speech when receiving one of songwriting's highest honours – Fellowship of the Ivors Academy. Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr are the first-ever Irish songwriters that the academy has inducted into fellowship during its 81-year history.
You'd think we'd be happy to celebrate with them, but this criticism of Bono's speech has overshadowed any possibility of national pride. It's nothing new given that plenty of Irish people find him irritating – superior or something…We've never been all that good at pinpointing our disdain.
So, what was it that he said that was so wrong this time? Well, he began his speech by asking Hamas to release their hostages.
"Hamas, release the hostages. Stop the war. Israel, be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred text." The words after Hamas focus on criticism of Israel. No mind. None of that counts. He shouldn't have mentioned Hamas – so the criticism goes.
These critics have a point, of course. The actions of Hamas now, if not in October 2023, shrink into insignificance when compared with the current actions of Israel. We all carry a deep pain, knowing there are thousands of innocent babies, children and adults starving to death in Gaza as we go about our daily lives.
There are trucks stuffed with supplies that are not being let in to help these poor people. These are the darkest of days. We know it is happening and yet we can do so little.
And so, people are understandably filled with rage that Bono mentioned Hamas, the word seeming to equalise both sides, as if both are similarly culpable, comparable in their cruelty.
I understand the feeling. At a gut level, I agree with it. Bono's words felt wrong; they landed discordantly. But our outrage brings us no closer to peace. It helps nobody. If anything, it pushes peace further away.
Trucks loaded with humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip at the Kerem Shalom Crossing in southern Israel last week.There are trucks stuffed with supplies that are not being let in to help the poor people in Gaza. File photo: AP/Maya Alleruzzo
The Israeli state has lost all humanity. Their genocidal assault proves their inability to see Palestinian people as human beings. Israel has ignored Ireland's protests for months. It is continuing to ignore the wave of criticism rising against them now – from hitherto silent nations. Condemnation of Israel will always be heard as antisemitism by Netanyahu and his government.
So, what is to be done? I would argue that as things stand, only consequences matter. Anything we can do to stop this genocide is worth trying.
Bono's criticism of Netanyahu means more, carries more weight, following at least an acknowledgement of Hamas. He understands the Israeli mindset - that since October 7th – anything goes. If he were to have omitted the mention of Hamas, no Israeli or Israeli sympathiser would have listened to the rest of his speech.
He understood fully what he was doing. He knew that the most committed campaigners for Palestine would hate him for it. He knew he would be attacked, ripped to shreds online, and yet he did it. He mentioned Hamas. He mentioned Hamas because his concern is primarily for the 'children in the rubble'.
It is a truly rebellious act, as he put it, – calling for peace. Peace is rarely a popular word. To so many people it sounds like cowardice. We are natural side-takers. Our side-taking fuels our passion for support. It also increases the likelihood and longevity of war.
Peacekeepers don't have the privilege of taking sides – even when the 'right' side is blatantly obvious.
In his speech at the Ivors Academy Bono said: 'Hamas, release the hostages. Stop the war. Israel, be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred text.' File photo
A genuine call for peace must drain itself of all side-taking to have any real impact. Even when one side is clearly the victim and one side clearly the perpetrator. None of those matters, only peace does.
I have no doubt where Bono's heart resides. He is fully horrified, as we all are, about what is happening to human beings in Gaza. Speaking to Brendan O'Connor last weekend he made it clear however, that he is not interested in "competitive empathy", something I have written about for this paper. How right he is. We have become obsessed by the "look" of our actions, regardless of their consequences.
Bono is interested in consequences. During the RTÉ interview, he recalled being egged for standing beside a Republican president and being heavily criticised for accepting a medal of freedom from Joe Biden. He countered the criticism by reminding listeners that his work with Biden saved lives.
It's quite the understatement. Through ONE, Bono has lobbied heads of state and legislatures worldwide, ensuring the implementation of global health and development programs, including the PEPFAR AIDS program, which has saved approximately 25 million lives.
Commentators criticising Bono for mentioning Hamas need to remind themselves that typing something online in itself is not an act of heroism. Sometimes we need to quiet our own emotions, even our own just allegiances, no matter how powerful, to get the consequences we want. This is exactly what Bono is doing.
Bono's criticism of Netanyahu means more, carries more weight, following at least an acknowledgement of Hamas. He understands the Israeli mindset - that since October 7th – anything goes. File photo: AP/Jens Kalaene/dpa
Is the man perfect? No, I'm certain he is not. He's walking around like the rest of us – full of his own demons no doubt, on his own journey, failing and learning all the time. He has an awful lot of money, and he likes to keep it. But he is committed to peace.
If Bono is out in the cold, Kneecap are warming themselves by the rosy fire of our adoration. The Irish people have fallen in love with their absolute devotion to Palestine. Like most people, I agree with their commitment to an absolutely devastated, ravaged people.
But their rhetoric won't get us anywhere. It will simply make them increasingly popular. Yes, they are on the right side of history, but side-taking is antithetical to peace.
I've been discussing the nature of peace in school this week. On Tuesday I found myself in a quiet classroom discussing Eavan Boland's Poem Child of our Time with a Leaving Cert student. Written in the 70s, it's one I've been reflecting on since.
The poem was written in response to a photograph of a firefighter carrying the body of a dead child from the debris of the Dublin bombing in May 1974. It addresses the deceased, acknowledging that adults' 'idol talk' has cost him or her their life. 'Our times have robbed your cradle' she says to the imagined body. She prays that we, the adults, can find a 'new language' to prevent future deaths.
We have not found that language. However morally right we are in condemning the Israeli state, our unwillingness to hear any mention of Hamas by Bono is ineffective. It forgets what we are trying to achieve – peace. An end to killing.
Kneecap are doing the right thing but that is different from doing the most effective thing. We need people like Kneecap to speak out. But for effectiveness, we need Bono and all peacemakers like him.
My hope is that Bono is in a room somewhere reminding himself of the criticism peacekeepers receive in their time. Certain unionists and nationalists despised Hume.
I have no doubt that as someone who lived through the discrimination against Catholics in Northern Ireland, he found it harder to reach across one side of the divide than the other. But reach across he did – not because he thought both sides were necessarily equal but because he knew his opinion, and indeed right and wrong, no longer mattered.
Any words that might stop Israel now are worth uttering. Alongside that one all-important one. Peace.
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Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
‘They think this is their hope to overcome this miserable situation': Teaching students online in Gaza
A picture of a trench lined with sandbags is on the screen. Physics teacher Ayda Elsayed Ahmed (55) uses it to illustrate Newton's laws of motion – explaining the 'directions and the spaces', how 'force' can become 'less'. This example was already on the Palestinian physics curriculum long before the bombardment of Gaza , she says, but understanding it has perhaps taken on a new form of urgency for her students, trapped inside the blockaded enclave for close to two years now; desperate to learn, but also to survive. Before the Hamas-led attacks of October 7th, 2023, more than 625,000 students in Gaza and 22,000 teachers attended 815 schools in 564 buildings across the enclave, according to the Global Education Cluster, which comprises of representatives from many international NGOs and is steered by Unicef and Save the Children. In June this year, a UN Human Rights Council commission of inquiry found that Israel had 'used air strikes, burning and controlled demolitions to damage and destroy more than 90 per cent of the school and university buildings in Gaza, creating conditions where education for children, including adolescents, and the livelihood of teachers have been made impossible". READ MORE It said attacks on educational facilities had been war crimes, which included the killing of civilians sheltering in schools, and that 'Israeli soldiers recorded and distributed videos in which they mock Palestinians and Palestinian education, before destroying schools and universities'. This was 'indicative of the Israeli security forces' intent to destroy these facilities to curtail Palestinians' access to education in the long-term'. More than 658,000 children in Gaza have had no schooling for 20 months, the commission said. Israel says Hamas operates in civilian areas, with Binyamin Netanyahu's office last week saying Hamas 'openly uses civilians as human shields' and 'uses schools and kindergartens to store weapons'. [ Sally Hayden: Stranded fathers describe anguish over children in Gaza Opens in new window ] An ever-growing number of international lawyers and experts call what is happening in Gaza a genocide. More than 60,000 people have already been killed there, according to Gazan health authorities, including about 18,500 children. While ensuring access to education may seem secondary compared to mass killing, Palestinian teachers say Gazan students remain desperate to learn. In April 2024, a UN Human Rights Council panel of experts also said it may be 'reasonable to ask if there is an intentional effort to comprehensively destroy the Palestinian education system [in Gaza], an action known as 'scholasticide',' adding 'when schools are destroyed, so too are hopes and dreams'. Ayda Elsayed Ahmed (55) teaches physics to students inside Gaza and those displaced abroad. Photograph: Sally Hayden 'I have a responsibility to support them' Ahmed was first contacted by Gazan students through social media early last year. The physics teacher of 25 years is based in the city of Dura, in the occupied West Bank. She added the students to a WhatsApp group, saying she was willing to give them physics courses online. 'I was really affected by what's happening in Gaza. Some of my students contacted me and told me sad stories about their lives. They showed me their destroyed houses, and so I was emotionally affected and I started giving them psychological support before I started teaching them. I have a responsibility to support them, to help them to pass these miserable conditions,' she says, sitting on a sofa in her family home. Gaza is about 44km (27 miles) west of Ahmed's house, but the enclave is under a complete blockade. As she speaks, the sound of a warplane rumbles above followed by a distant explosion – they can sometimes hear the bombing of Gaza from the West Bank, Ahmed says. Most of her original students were Gazans displaced abroad: usually in Egypt, but also Russia, Norway and Germany. 'I searched for students who needed help and gave them my number,' Ahmed says. She held three online intensive courses – in June, August and December 2024 – managing to finish the whole of the final year physics course in a month, with multiple sessions a day reaching up to 100 students, she says. [ Sally Hayden: From a viewing platform in Israel, observers watch Gaza's destruction Opens in new window ] They attended classes through Microsoft Teams, took tests through Google Forms and watched as Ahmed used a virtual physics lab to carry out experiments. Some later passed formal exams in Egypt, while others are at least better prepared for whenever they get the chance. In January 2025, Ahmed joined about 25 West Bank-based teachers involved in a more official programme offering 'virtual schools' for Gazan students, supported by the Palestinian education ministry in Ramallah. She says teachers inside Gaza have made impressive efforts to teach classes in tents, but 'it's crowded, a lot of noise, [the students] can't hear anything and they don't understand things'. She calls for those teachers to get more financial support and materials such as tablets, pens and paper. Through the virtual school, Ahmed taught 480 students in Gaza online. She received a stipend from the Palestinian Authority for some of that period, but said she would take part either way. 'We didn't join for money, we joined to help our students.' 'They are very thirsty for education, they think this is their hope to overcome this miserable situation.' Photograph: Sally Hayden Dr Salem Abu Musleh, the co-ordinator of the Palestine Astrophysics Programme, who now teaches in tents in Khan Younis, says in-person learning is still the best option for many. Nearly 80 per cent of Gazan students do not have access to stable internet from Palestinian providers, relying instead on weak, cheaper connections from service providers in tents, and must often travel long distances to get it, he says. Many are without a mobile phone, laptop or electricity – or have just one mobile phone per family. The internet regularly goes down. But virtual schools can be more 'comfortable' for those with that option, Ahmed says. 'I try to overcome the problem of when the internet is not available. I record my classes and I have a YouTube channel ... I have a special page on Facebook for the students of Gaza.' Starvation badly affects her students, with one in three Palestinians in Gaza going without food for days at a time, according to the UN. 'They are very, very, very hungry. My students told me while studying they [can't even get] a cup of tea with a spoon of sugar. [They ask] 'how can I study and do my homework without eating?' This is severe hunger they face, they're being pushed into starvation.' Some parents contact Ahmed too. 'A mother told me her daughter is a student, she can't go to where the charging point for mobiles is as she hasn't eaten for one week, she's so weak.' 'It was some kind of light through the darkness' Suheir Hussein Abu Arqub (55) – an English teacher in the West Bank for the past 24 years – began teaching virtual school in October last year, alongside her regular secondary school position in Dura. 'At first, the situation was hopeless and we were very sad for the students, we thought they lost their future ... but when the idea of virtual schools appeared it was some kind of light through the darkness. It was really an attempt to save what you can save,' she says. Suheir Hussein Abu Arqub started teaching online English classes for Gazan students in October last year. Photograph: Sally Hayden 'The idea is to keep the students in contact with schools, books, teachers and knowledge, education ... We don't want to lose hope. We want any kind of opportunity to give them light ... Certificates now are not important, what's important is to give them necessary knowledge that will help them in the future.' Arqub says she teaches as many as 1,700 students in Gaza across various groups, with up to 120 logging in for each class. 'Not all the students are able to connect ... because they have internet problems. Sometimes electricity is cut most of the day, some don't have mobiles or laptops ... In periods where there are massive bombing and destruction the number [joining classes] becomes much less.' She says students create WhatsApp groups to help each other and exchange homework. They have access to books online. But, even when in class, the horrors they are experiencing are impossible to forget. 'Displacement is a very hard situation for students, they say they keep all the time moving from place to place so this interrupts their continuous learning. Some lost close relatives. 'I have a student who talked to me, he lost his brother ... He said they were displaced and then when they returned to their house the house was damaged, but they don't have another place to live so they live in it and fear it will collapse on them.' During one lesson, she recalls, a student started screaming, saying his area was being bombed and he was going to move to a safer place. But he added: 'Please Miss, don't forget me'. Another student messaged from hospital, saying 'my father was killed and my mother was killed and I'm wounded in hospital but I want you to send me your homework and tell me what you did when I was away.' A student named Mohammed was killed, Arqub says. 'He did well on his exam ... When he died the students from the area where he lives [told] the principal ... I cried.' About 1,500 Gazan students sat high school matriculation exams – 'tawjihi' – on July 19th, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa. Those exams had been postponed since December 2023, and took place electronically, in organised venues or online from wherever those taking part could find an internet connection and charged device. Ahmed would like to see more students given the opportunity to sit their final exams but recognises that 'it depends on the security situation'. Writing on Al Jazeera's website this week, Ahmad Abushawish, a student still waiting to sit his, said the exams are not only a 'milestone', but also carry 'cultural and emotional weight' as a 'symbol of perseverance.' 'In a place where the occupation closes nearly every door, education is able to keep a few doors still open,' he wrote. Despite all of their challenges, Ahmed says she has never seen such dedicated students. 'I feel the students of Gaza deserve this because they insist on learning, they search for the knowledge ... They are very thirsty for education, they think this is their hope to overcome this miserable situation. They were very ambitious and hopeful in spite of all this.' Next, Ahmed says, her students are keen to join virtual universities 'to be connected with education forever. They're very clever, creative, they think outside the box. They deserve it'.
Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Letters to the Editor: 80 years on, remember victims of Hiroshima
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Bringing an end to the world as we know it…with the ability to kill millions of people and kill the climate catastrophically. I believe that nuclear weapons cannot, must not, coexist with humanity. We are regressing into a world in which the rule of law is replaced with the rule of power. Let us say loudly on this 80th anniversary: No to War! No to Nuclear Weapons! Yes to Peace! Yes to Disarmament! Adi Roche, Chernobyl Children International Church has power to help Gazans The Catholic Church has an opportunity to make a positive impact on the dire situation in Gaza. Shortly after his election, the late Pope Francis visited the Island of Lampedusa and made a significant impact in highlighting indifference to migrants and asylum seekers. Pope Leo could make an equal impact, by visiting Gaza, on the dire situation of the Palestinian people as they die from bullets and starvation. Even if he got as far as the Raffah crossing, it would send out a powerful message to the people of Gaza that religion has no borders. Brendan Butler, Drumcondra, Dublin Rich and poor gap widens further I found Monday's article by the Irish Examiner's Ann Murphy (Cork Crime: Soaring prices drive a surge in the theft of meat) to be a most compelling read. In her piece, Ms Murphy reports about a rise in shoplifting of expensive cuts of meat where more and more cases are coming before the courts in Cork. She delineates how the theft-to-order of luxury food is just one of the patterns revealed in this paper's two-day series based on data from Garda stations. We learn of situations where certain meats like legs of lamb and steak are being stolen and then sold back on to the black market. One would have to say this that this is really quite indicative of the fact that meat is nearly like a real premium product at this stage. 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John O'Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary AI governance framework vital John Whelan's article (Every penny of Apple cash needed to back Irish AI, Irish Examiner August 4) reporting on Chinese and American AI initiatives is further proof that digital innovation is accelerating and that all countries are struggling with the societal challenges of AI-driven digital transformation. Significantly, neither of these initiatives referred explicitly to the existential threats to humanity posed by AI. These threats have been airbrushed out of the US AI action plan which is designed to facilitate US Big Tech companies, in their go-it-alone, headlong rush to an unregulated era of AI-powered super profits. However the Chinese proposal, made by premier Li Qiang, at the Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on 26 July, emphasises co-operation, underlining the need to 'strengthen co-ordination to form a global AI governance framework that has broad consensus as soon as possible' and to help create a 'world AI co-ordination organisation'. Rather than a kneejerk rejection, this proposition should be taken at face value. Thus Naoise Ó Cearúil's proposed national Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026 could include an action to spearhead an initiative by Ireland with the EU, the UK, Ukraine, India, and China to create a Global AI Governance framework, supported by appropriate international institutions, that would resonate with citizens, communities and governments everywhere. Underpinned by a philosophy of digital humanism, it could be the catalyst to garner support worldwide for the global solutions that are necessary for a safer digital future for us all. This global AI governance framework could be launched at the planned AI conference during Ireland's EU presidency next year. Declan Deasy, Castlebellingham, Co Louth Litter plan must not be binned I read with interest in your publication recently that Cork County Council is contemplating the creation of a new litter management plan. As has been the situation so often in the past, when the above subject is discussed, local councillors immediately seek headlines on the issue of illegal dumping. What is overlooked by local authorities throughout the country is the lack of essential infrastructural provision to reduce and eliminate, where possible, the litter and waste that is dropped on our streets. This process should be initiated with the adoption of a proactive concept of having all waste taxed at the point of creation in contrast to the present reactionary method where the taxation of waste is not contemplated until it is about to be disposed. Next the numbers of litter bins and cigarette receptacles should be substantially increased, but unfortunately to date the numbers continue to decline. I live in the Fermoy municipal district where the entire electoral area including the towns of Fermoy, Mitchelstown, and Doneraile and surrounding villages are denied the most basic environmental infrastructure, namely an civic amenity site. In conclusion, any plan that lacks the above supports is not worth the paper it is written on. Tadhg O'Donovan, Fermoy, Co Cork US must find power to end war Israel's recent war waged against Iran was brief, efficient, and effective with outcomes that strengthened its military might and prestige. However, the war in Gaza is becoming endless, indiscriminate and pointless from a military perspective and with Israel portrayed as a pariah state. Following ceasefire talks in Qatar, it is now time for the USA to muster its power to find a negotiated solution to end the war. It is indeed essential to do so in order to avoid mass starvation. Moreover, it is in Israel's national self-interest and would create opportunities to develop a government for Gaza and without whatever is left of Hamas. Given the weakness of Hamas, the proposed 60-day truce period and ceasefire could be used to form a new governing body supported by the Palestinian Authority, which would take control of Gaza in the next phase with Western and Arab backstop. What is clearly manifest is the ineptitude, incompetence, cynicism, and indifference that Hamas has shown to Palestinian lives and Gaza citizens. Without a ceasefire, Gaza will not escape a full-blown famine of apocalyptic dimensions. Patrick L O'Brien, Kerry Pike, Co Cork
Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
More imagination needed to solve the housing emergency
When the Government declared covid-19 an emergency, bureaucracy was set aside and targets were achieved in recognition of the common good. No matter how well-intentioned the Government is about solving the housing crisis, it will require a collaborative approach as effective as addressing the pandemic. While the recently revised National Development Plan (NDP) announcement of enhanced infrastructure investment, including over €30bn of investment in housing, is to be welcomed, a more imaginative approach is needed. At this stage, given rising homeless figures at over 14,000 - including 5,000 children - the need for housing is an emergency and should be declared as such. It's now time for all stakeholders to put their shoulder to the wheel including senior civil servants, local authorities, communities and citizens. There seems to be a sense in Government that only 35,000 new homes will be built per year, even though it has increased annual housing targets to 83,000. The pent-up demand of around 151,000 units in the National Planning Framework (NPF) is underestimated in comparison to those projected by the Housing Commission with a shortfall of up to 250,000 units identified. The NDP's revised aspiration of 300,000 new homes over the next five years will only be achieved if radical steps are taken. It is important to deal with the core issues impacting further supply of housing, in particular a lack of available zoned land for construction. Up until 2014 there was always a supply of land where builders could buy and sell zoned land with planning. Since the core strategy of finding sufficient zoned and serviced land to cater for future housing demand was implemented in 2014 and incorporated into the NPF in 2017/18, zoned land has been artificially constrained to the point that this market is non-functioning. Nature abhors a vacuum with almost the entirety of available zoned land purchased by investment funds and the Land Development Agency (LDA). This has resulted in small and medium-sized indigenous builders being forced to reduce output and increasingly going out of business due to an inability to acquire adequate sites. This is a key contributing factor as to why national target outputs are not being reached. To increase output as envisaged, there needs to be a functioning land market as existed pre-2014 where agents had a supply of this type of land and builders could purchase. Construction work at Waterfall Heights, by Bridgewater, at Waterfall Road, Bishopstown, Cork. Ireland now has the second highest proportionate housing expenditure in the EU. Picture Larry Cummins There is also the innate loyalty and stickability of the Irish domestic builder: the same cannot be said of developments funded by foreign capital. Having excess amounts of land zoned doesn't translate to bad planning – allowing badly planned development on zoned land causes bad outcomes. In recent years, the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) has overseen the dezoning of land, much of which was serviced, based on a flawed NPF reliant on out-of-date ESRI model of future demand. The OPR's role must transition to one of 'implementor' - facilitating and overseeing domestic Irish construction companies throughout the country to build housing estates of 50-150 homes creating employment throughout various regions and rural Ireland. Indeed, in this capacity they can also oversee the necessary construction of large apartment complexes in cities and large towns, while also facilitating high-density compact housing estates on the periphery of cities and satellite towns. But while kickstarting smaller apartments is necessary to meet housing targets, encouraging a proportionate number of larger homes should also be considered to accommodate families. No further dezoning should be permitted without proven and solid grounds. What chance do large, medium or small developers have in securing funding for purchasing and building on serviced zoned land when the local authority, at the instruction of the Planning Regulator, can withdraw that zoning without notice. Funders or developers cannot operate in such a business environment. Lands dezoned in recent years should be rezoned by each relevant local authority. This, coupled with prioritised water and electricity supply schemes, would increase availability to build several thousand houses in the short term. Many housing developments are subject to Local Area Plans (LAPs) several of which have expired and therefore cannot be relied upon. Preparing masterplans is expensive and time consuming leading to planning application submission delays up to 12 to 18 months. This process needs to be streamlined and prioritised and LAPs need to be fast-tracked. Apprentice training schemes mentioned in the revised NDP are of course welcome, however, in the immediate term availability of trained personnel is not the problem. Recent lay-offs by indigenous companies points to this with others stating they are operating well below capacity. Reduced local authority levies and other costs within the State's control would be more effective, particularly in the short-term. The cost of building is also having a damaging impact on further vitally-needed supply. Dublin is the second most expensive city in Europe to build apartments with the cost of delivering a two-bed apartment around €600k in Dublin, and €460k to deliver a three-bed house. Ireland now has the second highest proportionate housing expenditure in the EU. Several Government initiatives have been introduced to address these costs including the Croi Conaithe Cities Scheme, First Home Equity Scheme, and the Help to Buy scheme among others. However, these demand-side subsidies have not had the desired impact and therefore need to be enhanced including a recalibration of the caps set for the First Home Equity and the Help to Buy Schemes, respectively, and allowing the payment support of the Croi Conaithe Cities scheme to be made upfront. Garry Keegan: 'The National Development Plan's revised aspiration of 300,000 new homes over the next five years will only be achieved if radical steps are taken.' The recently announced reduction in the minimum size requirement for apartments and other deregulations to increase the number of allowable units per core proves that the Custom House is listening to expert and experienced advice from the construction industry. More needs to be done to reduce the gap between construction costs and what can be achieved in the open market. By adopting the same collective approach as has been done in the recent past to address the most pertinent issue facing the State, only then will this current crisis be averted. Dr Garry Keegan is a former Dublin City councillor, former ESB board member and recently published Infrastructure Projects and Local Communities . He has worked on infrastructure and housing development projects over the past three decades.
