Sir, – Eamon Meehan, Chair of Sadaka – the Ireland Palestine Alliance, highlights the concerns expressed by Ireland and other EU countries to the plan by Israel to ban 37 aid agencies from Palestine (Letters, January 1st).

He is doubtful that Israel will pay any heed to these concerns. He says “Perhaps if the Government kept its promise and passed the Occupied Territories Bill, and demanded similar action from the EU, there might be a chance the future could be different for Palestine.”

This is very much based on the idea that change in Israel needs to be driven primarily by actions from outside of Israel. And yet that is not how we believe change comes about in Ireland. We put a high value on working for change in Ireland from the ground up.

So why are we not hearing more in Ireland, including from NGOs like Sadaka, about the efforts of those within Israel to bring about change for a better future for Palestine?

For example, a consortium of 19 human rights agencies based in Israel have condemned the Israeli government’s ban on the 37 aid organisations from Palestine.

Another example is Standing Together, which is a grassroots organisation of largely young Israelis and Palestinians. One of its leaders Sally Abed was the first Palestinian Woman elected to Haifa City Council in 2024.

Standing Together established a human guard of its Jewish and Arab activists, known as the Solidarity Guard, to protect humanitarian aid convoys bound for Gaza from attacks by extremist settlers.

Recently, the Solidarity Guard has protected Palestinian bus drivers from racist attacks.

There are many other examples of individuals and organisations working within Israel for a better future for Palestine and Israel. We need to hear more about them in Ireland, and our NGOs and politicians should support them in their efforts. – Yours, etc,

Cllr JOANNA TUFFY,

Lucan,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – Maurice Cohen of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland has spoken powerfully about his growing sense of unease as a Jewish person living in Ireland and about the rise of what he describes as “ambient anti-Semitism”. (“Jewish Council told Taoiseach of ‘deep concern’ about rise of anti-Semitism,” December 30th).

His concerns deserve to be taken seriously. Jewish people, like all minorities, must be protected, respected and able to live free from fear or discrimination.

However, the Irish Government’s proposed formal adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism raises legitimate concerns about unintended consequences for civil liberties and freedom of expression.

While the intention is to counter anti-Semitism, rigid or uncritical application of the IHRA definition risks conflating anti-Semitism with legitimate, non-violent criticism of the actions of the Israeli state – particularly in the context of Gaza and the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ’s) ongoing genocide case against Israel, where open discourse is key.

Human rights organisations, including Al-Haq and many international NGOs, have warned that such conflation may suppress lawful advocacy for Palestinian human rights, including peaceful protest and boycott campaigns.

The stifling of free speech would serve to foster resentment and polarisation rather than understanding, potentially exacerbating anti-Semitic sentiment rather than reducing it.

It is vital to clearly distinguish Judaism, a religion and cultural identity, from Zionism, a political ideology. Failure to make this distinction can lead some to wrongly attribute the actions of a state to Jewish people as a whole – a dangerous and false assumption and thus, contribute to an exacerbation of anti-Semitic sentiment.

Ireland is facing a worrying rise in racism, driven in part by ultra-nationalist groups who do not reflect the values of the majority.

Our response must be unity: protecting all minorities, defending free speech, and fostering mutual understanding in a diverse, multicultural society. – Yours, etc,

EILEEN SEERY,

Gorey,

Co Wexford.

Submarine attacks

Sir, – The recently announced steps being taken to protect our waters against submarine attacks are underwhelming. A single towed sonar costing €50 million in rough Atlantic seas is a recipe for disaster.

How long will it take to switch the sonar from one vessel to another, and does the switch necessitate port facilities with a consequent loss of patrolling time?

And sonar buoys may indeed provide the Air Corps with the capability of detecting, identifying and tracking submarines, but neither they nor the towed sonar enable the destruction of submarines, or even allow our Defence Forces to compel a submarine to surface.

National defence is a serious business and should not be undertaken on the cheap.

We need ships and planes with anti-aircraft, anti-ship, anti-missile and anti-submarine capabilities, not a miscellany of half measures. – Yours, etc,

KEVIN BUTLER,

Fairview,

Dublin 3.

Diplomatic superpowers

Sir, – Finn McRedmond’s article, “Our diplomatic superpowers are fading away at last” (January 1st,), argues that Ireland’s stance on certain international issues has led other countries to portray us less as a savvy diplomatic actor and more as a political outlier – particularly on Israel-Palestine and military neutrality.

The writer, not for the first time, appears to place how Ireland is viewed abroad above almost everything else.

I would ask: why should we care?

Ireland should aspire to lead by example among small nations, by calling out wrongdoing and indefensible actions wherever they occur, regardless of the size or power of the state involved.

Criticism from larger countries – many of which are steeped in their own arrogance and hypocrisy – should not dictate our moral compass.

When genocide is unfolding, that is not the moment to avert our gaze out of fear of financial pressure or diplomatic displeasure.

Nor is it the time to freeze our own legislation, such as the Occupied Territories Bill, out of nervousness about how others might react. It is precisely the moment to do the opposite.

Ireland’s neutrality has also been the subject of sustained criticism in recent years.

Again, I ask: who cares? Irish citizens have been perfectly clear in their support for neutrality, and that democratic will should matter more than finger-wagging from abroad. Ireland should remain resolute in that stance.

The message is simple: we should not be constantly preoccupied with what others think of us.

Let Ireland continue to develop its role as a principled voice among small nations – standing up for what we believe to be morally and ethically right, not shaping our actions around the approval of larger powers. – Yours, etc,

ENDA FANNING,

Churchtown,

Dublin 14.

Galway and traffic congestion

Sir, – The continuing traffic problems of Galway rightly receives ongoing coverage (“‘No end in sight’: Will Galway’s ring road finally be built?,” January 2nd).

Galway is the thriving regional capital of the west. It is a dynamic modern city and has effectively grown its population threefold in the last 50 years.

Your correspondent Andrew Hamilton focused his article mainly on road-based solutions which are in the planning pipeline.

We know from global experience that traffic congestion can only be solved by a multi modal approach and not by road alone.

This then brings me to rail. Galway’s rail connection to the north of the county and on to Mayo is thankfully currently in the process of being reopened. Every main town in Mayo and Tuam will have a direct rail connection to Eyre Square. This project needs to be completed to Sligo.

Oranmore’s park & ride station is being expanded due to demand. Similar stations servicing the N63 at Ballyglunin and N17 in Milltown will prove equally successful.

Each full train on the reopened Western Rail Corridor will remove 275 cars from the arteries approaching Galway.

I would suggest that limited road-centric analysis over time on solutions to solve Galway’s traffic quagmire have contributed to todays logjam. Rail removes congestion far away from the city centre and the approach roads.

Increasing rail’s reach and capacity to and from Galway will be a significant factor in relieving Galway’s traffic pressure. – Yours, etc,

ULTAN KEADY,

Caherlistrane,

Co Galway.

Deaths on the roads

Sir, – We lack the information necessary for After Action Review following road death. The headline of despair fades quickly until wrapped up in end-of-year cold numbers with calls for legislature and enforcement to solve human behaviour.

Is it for compassion or legal restrictions we cannot share an anonymised list of precise causations in a no blame culture? Without these how do we counsel ourselves and those we care about in an informed manner? – Yours, etc,

LEO LAWLER,

Clontarf,

Dublin.

Sir, – I read with dismay a recent Irish Times article on the increasing number of Irish road fatalities, alongside articles highlighting the Government’s pausing of public transport initiatives with granted planning permission as well as the shelving of planned traffic light cameras despite a successful pilot programme.

There is a bizarre incongruence here. Thoughts and prayers won’t improve road safety. – Yours, etc,

DR LISA McNAMEE,

Dartry,

Dublin 6.

Belling the wrong cat

Sir, – Is it possible that your editorial, “A wake up call on Irish ecosystems”, (January 2nd) is directing attention to the wrong problem?

Ireland’s most pressing ecological challenge may not lie solely in the condition of nature, but in how ecological status is assessed and communicated. There is a growing gap between Irish classifications and wider European and international benchmarks that deserves careful examination.

More than four fifths of bird species recorded in Ireland are classified globally by the International Union of Conservation for Nature (IUCN) as being of “least concern”.

This context is rarely reflected in public discussion. Instead, national frameworks such as Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland are often read as direct measures of ecological decline, rather than as precautionary screening tools shaped by local conditions.

These systems deliberately emphasise local scarcity, short term variability, and population instability.

In a small, peripheral, oceanic island, such features are intrinsic to ecology and do not necessarily indicate deterioration. When this distinction is lost, normal fluctuation risks being interpreted as crisis.

Public trust in environmental policy depends on clear separation between evidence of harm and the limits of our measurement systems.

A more explicit acknowledgement of that distinction would strengthen both conservation outcomes and public confidence. – Yours, etc,

CONOR SKEHAN,

Malahide,

Co Dublin.

Skort controversy

Sir, – Your columnist Jennifer O’Connell () is mistaken if she believes that the GAA is in some way connected to the discussions around camogie players wearing skorts during last summer’s championships. (“From statues to skorts, Ireland is preoccupied with the wrong things,” December 27th).

For the avoidance of any doubt, An Cumann Camogaíochta governs and administers the game of camogie at every level – including the inter-county game – and has done so since the inception of the organisation in 1904. – Yours, etc,

ALAN MILTON,

GAA Director of Communications,

Croke Park,

Dublin 3.

Airline policies

Sir, – The commercial seating policies operated by airlines raise clear safety and duty-of-care concerns, as highlighted in Barra Casey’s letter (January 2nd).

In Ireland, under child protection law, a child is defined as under 18, and minors are not treated as independent adults for supervision and/or safety purposes. Airlines should not be an exception.

Therefore, a commercial seating plan that does not ensure children are seated with the adults accompanying them creates clear risks, particularly during turbulence, medical incidents, or an emergency. Passengers’ dates of birth are provided at the time of booking. An automated allocation system can and should account for this.

Aer Lingus’ own rules acknowledge this reality. Children under 12 cannot travel alone. For those aged 12 to 15, a Form of Indemnity is required. Aer Lingus markets itself as a family-friendly airline; however, my experience with this aspect of the airline does not align with that message.

In our situation, frontline staff did recognise that my children needed to be seated with us, but this led to avoidable delays at check-in and frustration for other passengers, as staff attempted to resolve a policy-driven issue rather than a circumstance-based one. Airlines should not place staff or fellow travellers in this position.

Ensuring children are seated with their parents or guardians should be a baseline requirement.

It should not depend on the purchase of seat selection. – Yours, etc.

EVE O’DONNELL,

Clontarf,

Dublin.

An Irish welcome

Sir, – It never fails to delight me to be greeted by my first name at passport control in Cork airport. It seems to be a policy for gardaí on duty to use everyone’s first name as they check passports.

It costs nothing, and creates such a welcoming feeling. Well done to those who decided to do this, and those who do it every day. It makes a stressful world a bit better. – Yours, etc,

PAUL RYAN,

Cork.

A dry observation

Sir, – Regarding Conor Pope and his dry January: I find it amazing that people are told what to do at Christmas, shop shop shop and spend spend spend (“Conor Pope: What if dry January turned into dry forever? Eight ways life has changed since I stopped drinking in 2022,”).

And then told not to drink in January. Does anyone have a mind of their own? – Yours, etc,

JOHN WILLIAMS

Co Tipperary.