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Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- General
- Irish Examiner
Letters to the Editor: All I wanted to do was build a modest home on a modest patch of land left to me by my grandmother
I never thought I'd be the type to write to a newspaper. But here I am — 28 years old, from the West of Ireland, still living in my childhood bedroom, asking permission from the Government to exist. You see, all I wanted to do was build a modest home on a modest patch of land left to me by my grandmother, a woman who knew me better than the planning authority ever will. It's on a quiet cul-de-sac, five minutes from work, a couple of minutes from my parents' house, and literally beside my grandmother's old home, she passed about five years ago and left this lovely perfect site to me, my aunt lives there now and relies on me daily. The cows know me by name. But apparently, that's not local enough. Back in February 2024, I applied for outline planning permission. Not full permission — just the flippin' outline, a whisper of a suggestion that I might, in the far-flung future, get to build. Fourteen months later, a letter arrived (probably delivered by a man on horseback, given the speed of Irish bureaucracy): Rejected. Why? Because I don't rear cattle, pick oysters, chop down trees, or grow carrots for a living (so called Irish green belt policy to prevent the encroachment of development, unless you are involved in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, or agriculture). And because the site isn't 'immediately adjacent' to my parent's home — as if I was proposing to build on the moon and not within a 4km radius of everything I've ever known and loved; 120 seconds from my family home where I still live with my parents in my childhood room despite making an effort to move out. I was gutted. My grandmother wanted me to live there. I've poured my time into the community. I volunteer, I teach water safety to kids, I pay my taxes. And still, I was told: No. It felt like a slap in the face, followed by a pat on the head, and a 'best of luck in Australia'. Then came the anger. I looked around and saw accommodation popping up like mushrooms after rain — not for people like me, but for immigrants and asylum seekers. 'What about me?' I thought. 'How is that housing allowed, while I can't even build on a non-scenic, fully serviced field passed to me by my nan?' I won't lie — I started to drift. I liked angry Facebook posts. I watched protest videos and thought: 'Well, they're not wrong.' But then, something small happened that felt big. I dropped an important work envelope near one of the local International Protection Accommodation Service centres. A young boy ran out waving and laughing and gave it back to me, all smiles. His parents smiled too. Polite, warm people — probably fleeing God-knows-what back home. I stood there and stared at them. And it hit me like a tonne of bricks: They're not the problem. They're not responsible for the insane planning laws that keep Irish people off Irish land. They're not responsible for a Government that couldn't organise a house party in a housing estate. They just want what I want — a roof, a future, safety for their kids. And suddenly I wasn't angry at them anymore. I was just angry at the system that's failing us all. Because, let's be honest, this country is eating its young. More than 70% of young Irish adults believe they'll never own a home. Over half of 25- to 29-year-olds still live at home — not out of laziness, but because rent is a joke, mortgages are a fantasy, and planning permission is like winning the Lotto (except with less chance of success and more paperwork). I know people who've left and aren't coming back. Smart, skilled people. Good people. People who wanted to live and work here. Gone. And the next wave is packing their bags as we speak. Planning policy is just one cog in a wheel that's rolling straight over my generation. We're not asking for mansions or palaces — just a chance to live near our families, on land that means something to us. But instead, we're met with 14-month silences and a big red stamp that says 'NO': No to roots; no to community; no to staying. And in the void, the far right is finding space. Not because people are hateful, but because people are hurt, desperate, and forgotten. The more the Government fails to act, the more people turn to someone — anyone — who promises change, even if it comes wrapped in bitterness and blame. But we have to resist that. The boy who handed me back my envelope reminded me that decency still matters. That scapegoating vulnerable people won't get me planning permission. That a better Ireland won't come from division, but from pressure — pressure on those in power to stop gatekeeping the future from the very people meant to inherit it. I may never get to build on that land. But I'll keep trying. And I'll keep speaking out — not just for me, but for every young person told they're not local enough, not rural enough, not worthy enough. We're not statistics. We're not naive. And we're not going away. Chris Nicholson, via email Genocide in Gaza When I was 17 I read a book about the Bosnian-Serb conflict. It featured a man in the besieged Sarajevo who played his cello in a courtyard every day. He played in memory of the women, men, and children who died in front of his house in a bomb attack, in that same courtyard, as they queued for bread rationings at the bakery. In 2017, I visited Bosnia, as part of my Erasmus programme to Croatia. In Sarajevo, I saw the bullet holes in the buildings, the fields on the edge of town lined with white unmarked pillars representing the dead, and my friend and I cried in the museum which displayed the horrors of what happened there. 100,000 people died and 80% of those were Bosnian Muslims. It went on for four years, and I wondered at that point, how did it go on for so long? In the 1990s? How did no one intervene? Surely that could never happen again. Now in 2025, we fail to identify history repeating itself as we watch the genocide of the Palestinians, and this time there is no way to defend not knowing, we see it on our screens everyday. In years to come the next generation will ask, how come there was no intervention? Why did no one stop them? I wonder will there be anything left of Gaza and its people. How many unmarked graves will they need to represent their dead? Aisling Brady, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 Make your life lucky I believe in the principle of being able to create one's own luck. So if a person avoids having any knives, guns, blades, combustible items, needles, hard surfaces, and anything with a jagged edge in their own house, then very likely no harm will ever come to anyone in their house — not even by some kind of rare accident. Then if, on the other hand, one should fill all of one's house with materials that have a bouncy texture to them, along with soft brushes, soft crayons, small canisters of different coloured paints, and many bells and buttons which can make all kinds of beautiful sounds, then surely only wonderful and lucky things will always happen to them. This way, pain or hurt will be very unlikely be caused to anyone inside one's house. The only accidents that will occur will be happy and creative accidents. This is because with soft crayons close by, one's fingertips one will find oneself almost against one's own wishes itching to draw something nice upon a wall. Then also by just strolling along in any room one will inevitably walk upon a music making bell or a button and so joyfully create like Neil Diamond a 'beautiful sound'. Then with the help of some friends and also the new technology of AI all one needs to do now is to give this beautiful sound which you have surprisingly created 'a tune to match it'. I think there is a great lesson here about how to be lucky very often which should be meant for our own society as a whole. This lesson is to make sure that we all have as many beautiful and safe things around us as much as possible instead of unthinkingly having things which are apt to do, very sadly, in time, ugly things to us? Sean O'Brien, Kilrush, Co Clare Care home watch In many food processing plants in Ireland there are full-time Department of Agriculture Inspectors whose job is to ensure that rules and regulations are adhered to. They have the authority to shut down lines when a problem arises, they are not answerable to the owners of the plant. The cost of having them on site is recouped from the owners of the processing plants. Would it not be possible to have a qualified person in a care home full-time to ensure nothing like what we witnessed on the RTÉ Investigates programme would reoccur? That person would be there for the protection of staff and patients and would be paid for by the Department of Health who could recoup that expense from the owner of the nursing homes. The benefits of having eyes and ears permanently in those homes would be immeasurable. It may sound like a drastic measure but when we are revisiting a problem most of us thought was no longer an issue maybe drastic measures are all that will work or is food safety more important than old age and abuse. John Higgins, Ballina, Co Mayo Read More
Irish Independent
19-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Meath County Council due to make decisions about two IPAS centres proposed for Trim
Today at 07:37 Planning permission decisions are due by Meath County County Council shortly about two proposals for International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres in Trim. Both applications were made under Section 5 exempted developments for which planning permission is not required.
Extra.ie
12-05-2025
- Extra.ie
Two teens who drowned in Donegal tragedy entered water to retrieve soccer ball
Two teenage boys playing on a beach in Co Donegal to cool off in the heatwave have died. One drowned and the other passed away in hospital after being rescued. A 16-year-old Nigerian-Irish boy and his 18-year-old friend, of Zimbabwe-Irish nationality, lost their lives and another male was injured after getting into difficulty while swimming in Lough Swilly, near Buncrana, Co. Donegal, on Saturday afternoon. The two boys who died have been named locally as Emmanuel Famiola, from Nigeria, and his older friend Matt Sibanda, from Zimbabwe. Matt Sibanda. Pic: File The pair, who were living in separate International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres with their families, went to the beach with two other boys to play soccer. It is understood that when they were playing, the ball went into the sea, and the two victims, along with another friend, went into the water to retrieve it. The fourth friend stayed on the beach and raised the alarm at around 4 pm after the three teenagers, aged from 14 to 18, got into difficulty while swimming. One of the three boys was able to swim ashore. The 14-year-old has been hospitalised but is expected to make a full recovery, emergency services said. A multi-agency search-and-rescue operation was initiated, and two RNLI lifeboats were helped by the Greencastle and Mulroy-based Coast Guard units, with aid from scores of other boats and volunteers. Emmanuel Famiola. Pic: File The Sligo-based Sikorsky Rescue 118 helicopter was also involved, and the Malin Head Coast Guard coordinated the rescue operation. The body of one of the teenagers was recovered from an area known as Ned's Point and Fahan at around 9 pm on Saturday. The second teenager was rescued and taken to Letterkenny University Hospital but unfortunately, died in the early hours of yesterday morning. Matt Sibanda was a student of Crana College, while Emmanuel Famiola went to Scoil Mhuire. In a joint statement, principals Kevin Cooley of Crana College and Evelyn McLoughlin of Scoil Mhuire said the school communities are devastated by this heartbreaking loss. They said: 'Emmanuel and Matt were deeply respected and valued members of our student bodies, and their passing has left us all in profound shock. Pic:'Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and with the wider Buncrana community. This is a tragedy that words cannot fully express. 'In the coming days, weeks and months, we will continue to support our students, families and staff with care and compassion. 'Our priority remains the well-being of everyone in our community. We extend our deepest gratitude to the emergency services and rescue teams for their swift and courageous response.' The principals added that they will provide a space for students, staff and parents to gather, support one another and begin the healing process. The schools will reopen as normal today, with extensive support in place for those affected. Both schools activated their critical incident plans in the aftermath of the tragedy. Student support teams, critical incident teams and staff members are working to provide support to students, parents, and colleagues. Prayers were said at local Masses this morning for the three young men and their families. Buncrana parish priest Fr Francis Bradley said: 'Shock wouldn't really cover it. We are a beauty spot, and because of that, it is almost like there are sirens calling people into the water. 'These young lads, they weren't aware of the dangers. It's beautiful, yes, but there are tremendous dangers, especially when the tide is pulling out, there are huge currents, and unfortunately, they were not able to fight that or to understand to go along with it or find a little (place) where they could get out of the water.' He added: 'The feeling in the community is one of bewilderment, but of great solidarity too, and a great sense of loss. These are new parishioners, they are new members of our community.' Local Sinn Féin county councillor Jack Murray admitted that there were 'no words' to describe how the community in Buncrana felt following the tragedy. He praised the work of all the volunteers involved in the rescue, along with emergency services, who assisted. Cllr Murray added: 'Our emergency services have once again demonstrated courage and professionalism in unthinkable circumstances. We have been hit with so many tragedies and horrendous events in this area. Each time the emergency services are called upon, they stand up without fail.' A prayer vigil was held at 4 pm yesterday in St Mary's Oratory, Buncrana, to offer support. Councillor Joy Beard, who attended the scene on Saturday evening, said the community is in shock and disbelief. The 100% Redress party councillor said yesterday: 'This morning we awoke to the devastating news that a second teenager involved in yesterday's tragic events has sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning. 'As a community, we are devastated beyond words to have lost two young lives so full of promise.' A Garda spokesman said investigations were ongoing. The local coroner has been notified, and post-mortems will be arranged. A spokesman for Malin Head Coast Guard said an alert was raised shortly before 4 pm by a member of the public who reported a number of people in difficulty in the water. The spokesman added: 'The Coast Guard would like to thank all the search-and-rescue units and members of the public who were on scene for their assistance.' In a separate incident, the body of a man was recovered from the sea just off the Wexford coast on Saturday afternoon. An RNLI lifeboat, along with the Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue Sikorsky Helicopter 117, based out of Waterford Airport, were called out to the scene close to Wexford Harbour. It is understood that the body was located at around 3 pm near the harbour and may have been in the water for some time. The man's body was brought to University Hospital Waterford (UHW) for a post-mortem examination to be carried out. The coroner's office was notified. Gardaí were alerted to the discovery of a body in the sea off the coast of Wexford around 2pm. 'The deceased male was recovered by the Coast Guard and RNLI in the Irish Sea, east of Raven Point, and brought to shore,' a spokesman said. The dead man was unidentified yesterday, and efforts are ongoing to establish who he was.
Irish Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Public Accounts Committee to examine ‘profiteering' on asylum seeker accommodation, new chairman says
The Dáil 's spending watchdog is to scrutinise expenditure on accommodation for asylum seekers , the new national children's hospital and on the failed IT system for the Arts Council , its new chairman has indicated. Speaking at the first session of the new Dáil Public Accounts Committee on Thursday, John Brady of Sinn Féin said its focus must be on ensuring citizens received the very best services and the best value possible for public money. He said one of the most pressing issues he intended to prioritise on the committee was 'massive profiteering' in the provision of accommodation for those seeking asylum in Ireland. 'People have become millionaires providing sometimes poor quality accommodation in a deeply flawed system while communities have lost vital local facilities including hotels,' said Mr Brady. READ MORE 'The State has paid out billions of euro with, what I believe, is very little transparency. There are increasing reports of some companies with no track record being awarded substantial contracts.' Mr Brady said the cost of the International Protection Accommodation Service last year was €1 billion and was projected to exceed €1.2 billion this year. 'I believe the Public Accounts Committee has a critical role in scrutinising how these contracts are awarded and whether they deliver value for money for the taxpayer.' Mr Brady also said it was critically important that the committee examined costs associated with the new national children's hospital. He said expenditure had on the project had soared to more than €2.4 billion. John Brady has indicated the Public Accounts Committee will examine costs associated with the national children's hospital. Photograph Nick Bradshaw He said that previously the committee had experienced challenges in getting some critical bodies to appear before the Public Accounts Committee. 'There was deep frustration and disappointment on behalf of members of the last Public Accounts Committee when key witnesses from the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children's Health Ireland were unavailable to come before the committee,' he said. [ Delay to opening of national children's hospital for patients known for some time, Carroll-MacNeill says Opens in new window ] 'I would like to move quickly to invite those bodies into the Public Accounts Committee to get some very important questions answered.' Mr Brady also said the Public Accounts Committee must look closely at spending by the Arts Council, particularly expenditure of €6.7 million on a failed IT system. 'Such a significant outlay with no outcome cannot go unchecked,' he said. Mr Brady also said the committee should give particular scrutiny to 'the extremely serious issue of bogus self-employment'. 'This is a systemic problem in many sectors, not just in the likes of RTÉ or the gig economy. It is now a big issue for postmasters, to name but one other key area,' he said. 'It not only undermines workers' rights but places an unjust financial burden on the State. I believe the Public Accounts Committee has a duty to expose how and why these practices continue and to assess their real cost to the public purse.'
