Don’t panic, Philip! I bet Brexit will be a doddle
I SEE Philip Nolan is still fretting over Brexit (Mail, Friday), only now he seems positively panic stricken. A few observations, which hopefully might assuage Philip’s worries.
I had been hearing stories, post the vote for Brexit, that a strange, unfriendly and xenophobic mentality had taken hold of the Brits. Surprise, surprise, on any recent visit there I have found it to be a case of business as usual.
People’s attitudes are more or less the same as pre-Brexit: by and large friendly with no discernible difference. My suspicions are that it is largely a storm in a tea cup. A little like the millennium.
I recall returning to work post Christmas 1999, and the impression was that the world was effectively going to end on the 01/01/2000.
We were almost afraid to turn on our office computers, lest they explode and blow us all to kingdom come. We all know what actually happened – nothing.
So can I suggest to Philip and other post-Brexit worriers that they chill out. This time next year we will have forgotten all about Brexit, and most likely you will have something more important to worry about.
ERIC CONWAY, by email. ...WILLIAM Shakespeare would have had a field day in writing his comedy of errors after watching the Brexit political scenario. It’s a kind of a Kafka-esque narrative or like a boat which is taking water from all sides.
Firstly, there is the internal Westminster political bickering which sees the Tories split into factions from those who think that no deal is better than a bad deal (dream on!), to those who support May’s ‘soft’ Brexit plan and those in the Labour Party who should keep their mouths shut as they forget only too easily that should their party have taken an active role at the time of the Brexit referendum, in line with their supposed policy to protect jobs, perhaps Brexit wouldn’t have passed.
Then we have the never-ending negotiation merry-go-round between May and the EU which last week suffered a major setback when May’s plan was bluntly rejected by the EU and the PM in No.10 had no alternative other than expressing disgust at a press conference at the way the EU had treated her. Inevitably, in this debacle, the Northern Ireland situation has become more than anyone can handle. The contradiction in terms inherent in this issue is that on the one hand Northern Ireland, as well as the Republic would want no border, hence free movement of goods and people. This is equivalent to remaining in the customs union, which is exactly what the EU are prepared to concede to.
On the other hand this is precisely what May is against as it would dent the integrity of the United Kingdom, a position presumably shared by the unionists in the North who strongly desire remaining part of the UK.
Apart from the fact that a free trade arrangement does not necessarily impact on political identi- ties, this seems to be the classic case of wanting the cake and eating it! CONCETTO LA MALFA, Dublin 4.
Harris has lost it
I HAVE just read the statements made by Simon Harris, our Health Minister, regarding the introduction of free abortion services in January. He is quoted as saying that it would not put the healthcare system under further pressure as it will be adequately resourced.
That will be a first in our healthcare system. Senior medics raised concerns, along with the Irish College of General Practitioners and the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists who said the January timeline is ‘challenging’. Our healthcare system is stretched out of all recognition. People on stretchers and chairs in corridors. Lack of staff.
Simon Harris needs to understand his brief or simply resign. The head-in-the-sand approach and ‘everything is okay’ method of management wont do.
MARTIN STRINGER, Co. Mayo.
Energy rip-off
I AM wondering how it is that costs of gas and electricity are regularly rising. These companies are making huge profits whatever the price of oil. They also have guaranteed income from sales of their products, a situation that few commercial companies enjoy.
There is silence from our public representatives as we approach winter weather and situations in which people will struggle, especially older people. The irony being that they are both Stateowned companies whose profits are returned to the Department of Finance. HARRY MULHEARN, by email.
High cost of the Áras
WITH all the fuss about the upcoming Presidential election I did some research about Áras an Uachtaráin. It has 95 rooms and catering costs of over €800,000 a year for two people, at present, plus upkeep costs by OPW.
Is it not time to put this large property to another use: if not for Government use then maybe residential? Ireland needs to stop wasting money and look after its citizens and stop pretending that we can compete with the White House.
J MAHER, Tralee, Co. Kerry.