Latest news with #KarolBalfe
Irish Independent
28-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
‘It strips them of dignity' – more than 500m women across the world suffer due to period poverty, Irish charity says
ActionAid Ireland said today that millions of women, including hundreds of thousands in Gaza, lack access to safe menstrual products. The organisation added that this crisis fuels gender inequality and compromises women and girls' health and hygiene, forcing many to miss school, work, or social activities because they cannot afford menstrual care. Speaking ahead of World Menstrual Health Day tomorrow, ActionAid Ireland CEO, Karol Balfe, called for meaningful action in Ireland and abroad to tackle period poverty. She appealed for the universal provision of free menstrual hygiene products in schools, shelters, and public institutions to ensure that no girl or woman misses school or work due to lack of access. Ms Balfe added that this crisis is not 'just a health issue' but a 'gender equality issue' in Ireland and across the world. 'When women and girls cannot access safe, affordable menstrual products, it strips them of dignity and opportunity,' she said. She also highlighted the situation in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of women are unable to access period products. 'Hundreds of thousands of women in Gaza, on top of bombardments, air strikes and starvation, are suffering due to the fact they can't access menstrual products, soap and clean underwear during their periods. "The situation has been exacerbated following the aid blockade introduced by the Israeli Government on Gaza 12 weeks ago. 'Imagine being forced to miss school or work because you cannot afford a tampon or menstrual pad. Imagine bleeding through newspaper or rags because there's nothing else when you have your monthly period. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more "Now imagine doing this while living in Gaza, under constant bombardment, in a freezing cold tent, with no hygiene kits, clean underwear, safe water, soap, or access to a toilet,' she added. ActionAid Ireland is now appealing to governments, such as Ireland, to provide women and girls with period products and other essentials during humanitarian crises, and fund free period product initiatives in low and middle-income countries. The charity is also calling on governments and NGOs to support education on menstrual health and rights, counter stigma on this topic, and fund grassroots women-led organisations to educate communities about menstruation, fight period shaming, and abolish dangerous customs. 'Menstruation is not dangerous,' Ms Balfe continued. 'It's not dirty. It's not a curse. It's a natural part of life – yet it's menstruation that causes unimaginable suffering for millions of girls and women around the world.' "In some parts, traditions and norms persist that mean that girls and women are forced to isolate themselves during their menstruation. 'This type of isolation can lead to both physical and mental illness – and in the worst case, danger to life. "It is a clear example of how myths and stigma surrounding menstruation create serious consequences for girls' and women's health, safety and human rights,' the CEO added.
Irish Examiner
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Letters to the Editor: Man-made famine unfolding in Gaza
It has now been two long, harrowing months since Israel reinstated a total siege on Gaza, blocking the entry of life-saving humanitarian aid and commercial goods into a region already devastated by war. This marks the longest period Israel has blocked all aid and goods from entering Gaza in history. With community kitchens — one of the last remaining lifelines in Gaza — now threatened with closure, the world is witnessing a man-made famine unfolding in real time. Desperation has reached unspeakable levels. Mothers are boiling grass to feed their families. Children are suffering unbearable hunger, trauma, violence, and abandonment. Gaza's hospitals, already crippled, are close to collapse, unable to function without essential medicines, vaccines, and equipment. Women, girls, and other vulnerable groups face escalating risks of gender-based violence. Stocks in aid warehouses are nearly gone. Palestinian organisations continue to seek to supply desperate communities through local markets, but they are facing eye-watering prices. Yet world leaders are distracted it seems, while the ethnic cleansing and likely genocide of Palestinians rages on. As the UN Secretary-General put it, Gaza is a killing field, and its civilians are trapped in an endless death loop. The weaponisation of aid, including withholding food, water, healthcare, and shelter, has led to a surge in preventable deaths and threatens the dignity and survival of Palestinians in Gaza. This is a preventable atrocity. And it does nothing to address the horror of the remaining hostages and their families. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have intensified military operations in the occupied West Bank, severely disrupting humanitarian aid delivery there. This includes demolishing Palestinian homes, forcibly displacing approximately 40,000 people, and destroying critical infrastructure. World leaders must demand an immediate end to the blockade, and tough action must be taken against Israel and its shredding of international law. Every hour of delay in restoring aid costs more lives. This brutal, illegal, and devastating occupation of Palestinian territory and its people must end. The Irish Government must also play its part; stop wavering, and honour its pre-election pledge to introduce the Occupied Territories Bill. This would show true leadership on one of the most devastating issues of our time. This is a moment of moral reckoning. A moment when the world must step up. Otherwise, history will not be kind. Karol Balfe, CEO ActionAid Ireland, Dublin Cork GPs condemn genocide of Palestinian people We the undersigned general practitioners of Cork, on April 29, 2025, wish to condemn the ongoing genocide being perpetrated on the Palestinian people by Israel, and call for the immediate expulsion of Israel from international medical organisations such as the World Health Organization and the World Medical Association. We demand that the Irish Medical Council, the Irish College of GPs, and the Irish colleges representing other specialties such as surgery, medicine, anaesthesiology, etc, echo this condemnation of Israel, and similarly call for its expulsion from the above organisations. Eugene Egan, Paul O'Keefe, Patrick Brady, Bob Townsend, Frank Hill, Nurua Zulifee, Jeremy Gibson, Patricia McMahon, Noelle O'Sullivan, Kate Marie Boyle, Adham Jaber, and Ken Harte, via email Increased military spending and price for peace Several recent public commentaries in the media and in the Irish Examinerhave made a compelling case for the increased military spending as the price of peace in Europe. This argument goes that Nato's presence and increased military expenditure may represent the price for peace and longer-term prosperity. To some extent, history supports this. The nuclear arms race between the US and USSR provides a classic example of such brinkmanship where the risk of collateral damage was so great that it acted as a deterrent to nuclear war. However, the reality is more complex than simple measures of military expenditure. During the 1990s, when average Nato military expenditure exceeded the 2% target, Europe experienced conflict in the Balkans. Neither did such spending deter Nato members from military interventions in third countries. What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here While it is true that military spending boosts economic growth through what is known as military Keynesianism, this spending is often capital-intensive and wasteful compared to other forms of investment. Analysing US military spending in the Vietnam War in the 1960s, the economist Leslie Fishman noted that because governments typically seek to keep their own military casualties low, military expenditure is necessarily much more capital-intensive than other sectors of the economy. This means that the current European efforts to repurpose industrial facilities for military purposes may lead to poor long-term returns. Moreover, the casualties from the US war efforts since the 1950 were of such magnitude that it made any cost-benefit analysis meaningless. On the other hand, Fishman noted that post-war initiatives such as the Marshall Plan had a high return for the US, keeping the Soviet Union at bay for relatively small outlays. Finally, military spending is often itself destabilising. US efforts to contain communist China during the 1950s and 1960s and its build-up of military capabilities in the Middle East have all contributed to current instability. Damian Tobin, Cork University Business School, University College Cork Women need more than 'a seat at the table' The original article from Dr Suzanne Crowe — 'Punishing those who speak out fails us all' ( Irish Examiner, April 23) and the responding letter from Aisling McNiffe — 'Speaking up for Ireland's voiceless' (May 1) — were both written as mothers. As yet another mother, I agree with both of them. I also am the parent of an adult with a disability, not one with the acute medical needs that Aisling's son has, but without the 24/7 supervisory care that I provide, my child would soon sink. The real underlying unaddressed issue here is one of 'power over', equity, and the undeniable fact that our current systems are systems of dominance, patriarchy, hierarchy, and therefore, control. Suzanne Crowe, president of the Irish Medical Council and consultant paediatric intensivist and anaesthesiologist. Picture: Moya Nolan They are systems of 'old' and not fit for purpose in this modern world that we live in — they need radical transformation. It's time to unlearn and rebuild new systems that genuinely serve the people as they are meant to. It's been said that women and girls are conditioned to believe success is 'a seat at the table'. It is my belief that we need a new table and one that women help build because 'equity is not about who's at the table, it's about who built it — what is served, and who benefits most'. Anne Lawlor, Lower Yellow Rd, Waterford Move World Cup final to facilitate All-Irelands The GAA president Jarlath Burns has, this week, confirmed that the All-Ireland finals will continue to be played in July in 2026, with the hurling final to be played on July 19, the same day as the soccer World Cup final in America. In these circumstances, An Taoiseach should, at the first available opportunity, make a request to US president Donald Trump to have the date of the World Cup final moved. The ace Micheál Martin holds in making this 'deal' with Mr Trump, is his ability to deploy every ounce of Irish blarney and native cunning in convincing Keir Starmer to have the 2028 British Open played at Trump's Turnberry golf course, which, it seems the US president is becoming obsessed about. Michael Gannon, Saint Thomas Sq, Kilkenny City Read More Letters to the Editor: Sporting conduct damages hurling
Irish Independent
30-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Ireland among top countries enabling investment in fossil fuels
The analysis found the largely Dublin-based operations held more than €31bn in oil, gas and other fossil-fuel investments last year. More than 90pc of those investments were in companies that are continuing or expanding oil and gas exploration. That is despite global pledges by governments to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions, for which fossil fuels are the primary source. The research was carried out for Trócaire and ActionAid Ireland, which are calling on the Government to stop private finance flowing through Ireland to fossil-fuel companies. Ireland enacted the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act in 2018 which pulled public money out of fossil fuels by prohibiting the state-owned Strategic Investment Fund from buying shares in them. However, the rules do not apply to private companies that either invest directly in fossil fuels or act on behalf of investors. Trócaire and ActionAid will meet politicians in Leinster House today to present their report and ask for amendments to the law. 'The findings in this report are shocking,' ActionAid Ireland chief executive Karol Balfe said. 'Ireland may not have a domestic fossil fuel industry, but it is clear we are deeply complicit in fuelling the global climate emergency, providing a tax-friendly financial gateway for some of the most destructive industries on the planet.' The report found that Ireland ranked 14th in the world in terms of managing international fossil-fuel investments. That puts Ireland ahead of much larger countries such as Russia, Kuwait and Brazil, which are major fossil-fuel producers. It calculated that the investments that flowed through Ireland in 2023 fuelled 72.5 million tonnes (mt) of carbon emissions – 10.5mt more than Ireland's total national emissions for the year. ADVERTISEMENT Ms Balfe said none of this activity could be justified in countries that had signed up to the landmark Paris Agreement on cutting global emissions. 'There is no credible path to climate safety if financial flows to fossil fuels, including those channelled through Ireland, are not shut down,' she said. 'This means direct regulation of financial institutions, requiring them to adopt and implement transition plans aligned with the Paris Agreement.' Siobhán Curran, of Trócaire, said the aid agency was seeing first-hand the impacts of the continued support of the fossil-fuel industry in countries suffering severe droughts, floods, population displacement and other deadly effects of climate change. The Irish-based operations identified as holding the biggest investments in fossil fuels include BlackRock and State Street, both US-owned; Credit Agricole (France); Marsh McLennan (US); Intesa Sanpaolo (Italy); Banco Mediolanum (Italy); Power Corporation of Canada; Neuberger Berman (US); FinecoBank (Italy); and Zurich Insurance (Switzerland).
Irish Examiner
30-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Government urged to end €31bn fossil fuel investments
Ireland's hidden involvement in the fossil fuel industry has been revealed, with more than €31bn in investment flowing through this country. The Government has been called on to urgently regulate private finance and end fossil fuel investment expansion which campaigners say is wreaking havoc on the environment. A report published today raises concerns about the country's role in fuelling climate impacts beyond its borders, revealing that the top financial institutions using Ireland for fossil fuel investments include BlackRock at €18.9bn; State Street at €4.4bn, and €2.1bn from Credit Agricole. This makes Ireland a key global centre for investment in fossil fuels. The report published by Trócaire and ActionAid Ireland also reveals that Irish subsidiaries of multinational financial institutions generated 72.5m tons of CO₂ in emissions in 2023. This is 10.5m tons more than Ireland's total national emissions and 10 times the entire emissions of Sierra Leone. ActionAid chief executive Karol Balfe, said: 'The findings in this report are shocking. Ireland may not have a domestic fossil fuel industry, but it is clear we are deeply complicit in fuelling the global climate emergency, providing a tax-friendly financial gateway for some of the most destructive industries on the planet. "There is no credible path to climate safety if financial flows to fossil fuels, including those channelled through Ireland, are not shut down. This means direct regulation of financial institutions, requiring them to adopt and implement transition plans aligned with the Paris Agreement. Ireland has both a responsibility and an opportunity to lead. The 'Hidden Truth: Ireland's role in the global fossil fuel industry' study has found that in June 2024, Irish-based financial subsidiaries of investment companies held €31.76bn in fossil fuel investments, with 91% of these investments in companies engaged in fossil fuel expansion. Ireland ranks 14th globally in terms of fossil fuel investment by manager location, ahead of major fossil fuel producers like Brazil, Kuwait and Russia. The study warns if this country continues with its current strategy of "encouraging FDI at all costs", and relying on "weak" EU regulation, "we are headed for catastrophe". It calls on the Government to ban investments by Irish companies and Irish-based subsidiaries of multinational investment companies in fossil fuel expansion and require investors to implement climate transition plans consistent with a 1.5°C climate limit. Trócaire head of policy and advocacy Siobhán Curran warned that the climate crisis is causing disproportionate harm to those with the least responsibility for causing it. Ireland is facilitating the reckless pursuit of profit by financial institutions and corporations, who continue to pursue further expansion of oil and gas in spite of all the warnings and at the expense of the planet. The massive injustice is that it is the communities Trócaire work with in climate vulnerable countries that are feeling the worst impacts of these decisions," she said. She pointed out that the global north is responsible for 92% of all excess global carbon dioxide emissions, with the Global South responsible for a mere 8%. 'The carbon footprint of these financial flows is bigger than Ireland's yearly emissions — this completely undermines efforts that are being taken to reduce emissions and in fact means Ireland is playing an outsized role in fuelling the climate crisis. "Ireland has a responsibility to regulate these financial flows, particularly as EU corporate sustainability regulation is currently being dismantled, due the power of the corporate lobby.' The fossil fuel company which receives the most investment from asset managers based in Ireland is ExxonMobil. In 2023, ExxonMobil reported €33.63bn in profit. That is almost twice the GDP of Botswana (€18.1bn) and nearly three times Namibia's GDP (€11.5bn).
