Time we stood up to the energy rip-off merchants
WHY oh why do we Irish sit back and do nothing and let the energy companies walk all over us?
Let’s take Bord Gáis to account for its obscene profits – €39.4bn – for the first half of this year and blaming the war in Europe for increasing the cost of energy on the citizens of Ireland.
This has to stop or our most vulnerable will perish this winter as they will not be able to heat their homes or cook a hot meal. What is the Commission for Regulation of Utilities doing?
For every increase in the cost of energy, the Government takes in more revenue to fund the whims of the Green Party and Independent TDs. This has got to stop. Now is the time to make a stand and show these rip-off merchants that there’s still some fight in us.
Anthony Lafford,
Glasnevin North, Dublin 11.
Trivialising refugees
SABINA COYNE HIGGINS’ recent correspondence with a national daily newspaper generated some very useful discussion and commentary on the issue of equivalence vis-a-vis the combatants in the Ukrainian war: gifting Russia a propaganda ‘strike’ against Europe, the complication of a private citizen having facility to publish personal views on Uachtarán na hÉireann’s website and – if An tUachtarán’s spouse is in every sense a private citizen – the context of her high profile in Irish life.
A disappointing aspect, however, of this whole conversation was Ms Coyne Higgins’ response to the debate she initiated. Part of her response, ‘I cannot be but dismayed that people would find anything unacceptable in a plea for peace,’ is an oversimplification of the reaction of very many citizens.
In saying so, she trivialises the lived experience of Ukrainian refugees living amongst us and fails to acknowledge the tenor and implications of her letter, all of which tarnishes her credible record as an anti-war activist over many years.
Michael Gannon, Kilkenny city.
…THE controversy regarding Sabina Higgins’ letter on Ukraine reminds me of a friend and colleague when I worked in the civil service. He was told by his superior that because of his high position he was not to write letters to the national papers. He replied he would not but told his superior, however, ‘I can’t stop my wife writing’.
Tony Moriarty,
Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6W.
In a different league
SOME people have been giving rugby the status of being Ireland’s national game over the last couple of years and Eamonn Burke (MoS letters, July 31) appears to be on that bandwagon. He was highly critical of our national broadcaster for not giving live television coverage to the ‘wonderful win’ over New Zealand.
The writer hit out against the extensive media time given to the All-Ireland hurling final between Limerick and Kilkenny and made the inane suggestion that the game would only have passing interest to people in the rest of the country. There is interest in the noble game of hurling from the glens of Antrim to the most southerly part of Cork.
The players on county hurling teams are mostly home-bred, unlike our national rugby side which sports a few honorary Irishmen. Ireland occupies the position of being the number one team on the planet but let’s see how they get on in the world cup.
Willie Wilson, Waterford city.
Monstrous turbines
IT’S curious that Wind Energy Ireland had no one available to comment or contribute to a discussion on RTÉ’s Drivetime during the week about the exorbitant profits being made by what presenter Cormac Ó hEadhra called ‘wind energy farmers’.
It’s especially strange given that a representative from Wind Energy Ireland is often on the radio and TV, or quoted in print media whenever there is a chance to promote wind energy. Or, indeed, to castigate officialdom for not allowing further proliferation of its monstrous turbines across this fair land.
The old adage you can run but you can’t hide comes to mind.
Tom Baldwin, Midleton, Co. Cork.