1 week Ago
Thank you to Suzanne Crowe for a well-informed article debunking the idea that Ireland is full (‘Our health service would fall to pieces if the “Ireland is full” brigade got their way’, Irish Independent , November 12). A country like Ireland needs a steady flow of people who are willing to come and work in all our public- and private-sector services. The notion that chucking people out of Ireland is going to sort out our problems is beyond belief.
Jobs in all levels of the HSE constantly need to be covered, with the exception of the very top-heavy management layers. All the issues relating to lack of homes and services would remain the same if hard-working, experienced HSE staff were told to leave. We have to acknowledge that the lack of infrastructure and services is the responsibility of the Government and not that of the workers.
The bile needs to be taken out of the conversation and recognition given to those who come and do the jobs that we are unable to fill. Tony Wilkinson, Bandon, Co Cork Our need to recruit nurses and doctors from overseas shines light on key failures How can Dr Suzanne Crowe, in her column from two days ago, defend the Irish health service recruiting nurses, doctors and medial technicians from developing countries whose health services are already severely understaffed? If Ireland trained enough of its own citizens and provided them with satisfactory conditions, there would be no need for this policy of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Karl Martin, Bayside, Dublin 13 Teachers are well equipped for politics and the many challenges it may throw up I wish to respond to A Gallagher’s letter, in which he discussed the merits – or perhaps lack of merits – of teachers running for the Dáil (‘O’Leary right to question over-representation of teachers in Dáil Éireann’, Irish Independent , Letters, November 13) First of all, allow me to point out that a large percentage of teachers are businesspeople.
They own farms, properties and bed-and-breakfasts. The broadcaster and journalist David McWilliams once referred to the ace up the sleeve of many retiring teachers. He was talking about the ones who left home for education, but held onto the farm – and they went back to those farms at weekends to work on them.
Mr Gallagher talks about the need for diverse perspectives in the Dáil. Funnily enough, this is the name of the game in teaching. Our teachers explore innovative solutions every single day and they do it in front of 30 teenagers.
The letter writer suggests that teachers don’t have a specific skill set, but the truth is they have a multitude. They possess skills that transfer to business, government, GAA clubs, musical societies, community projects, parish leadership, voluntary organisations and boards of all description. Mr Gallagher refers to the qualities of people working in charity, healthcare, finance and engineering, by way of comparison.
Ask any school principal about financing a 36-teacher school on a tiny budget. When you have done that, ask about the critical thinking required to teach engineering skills to Leaving Cert students. The economy, infrastructure, housing and citizens’ safety are listed as a multitude of issues requiring attention.
This is presented as some kind of new information, but maybe I misunderstood. He appears concerned for Michael O’Leary. This is foolish empathy as O’Leary can fight his own corner.
And yes, Donald Trump will soon be the leader of the free world. But the Irish people don’t want a Donald Trump, or any billionaire for that matter, in government. Margaret Docherty, Terenure, Dublin 6W The US has woken up to the value of business leaders and maybe we should too Could it be that the American electorate finally understands that choosing a person with a business background is better than choosing a politician? Is this the reason for Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election? Businesspeople have unique skills.
These include decision-making, communication, financial management, persistence, data analysis and leadership. They are straight talkers and will not hesitate to remove obstacles – human or otherwise – to achieve their goals. Most politicians do not have these skills.
Their artistry is verbiage and obfuscation. They are weak when it comes to management skills and hitting deadlines. Straight talking is not their forte either.
Choosing the wrong person for a job is analogous to having a plumber remove one’s spleen. We Irish have yet to see the merits of choosing the right people. Political-party hierarchy pick candidates based on their pulling power, gender and location – hence the lack of relevant expertise.
Candidates are never chosen on experience and proven skills alone. People tend to vote for allegiance to party, not for the best candidate for the job. It is obvious that bad outcomes follow poor administration.
Testimony to this is the National Children’s Hospital, the unbelievable cost of a bike shed and security hut, and other chronic abuses of taxpayers’ money. Hospital waiting lists are a disgrace. We have too many people lying on trolleys every day.
Then there is the housing shortage, the unsafe streets of towns and cities, immigration, the hospitality sector’s multiple closures, the shortage of personnel in key areas such as nursing, An Garda Síochána, teaching and trades. Trump may not be the definitive answer to America’s problems, but he has the credentials to succeed if his egotism and arrogance do not get in the way too much. Time will tell.
JA McArdle, Co Carlow Dismissal of public feeling by elites gave Trump clear path back to White House Further to Ian O’Doherty’s analysis of Trump’s US election victory, the dangers of disregarding public sentiment has never been so clear (‘American voters may not all love Trump, but so many wanted what he was selling’, Irish Independent , November 13). When media and political elites dismiss large segments of the populace as outliers, they erode the trust essential to any democracy’s survival. The pendulum swing towards figures like Donald Trump serves as a reminder that democracy thrives on dialogue, not derision.
If political leaders fail to listen, they will continue to yield ground to voices they once deemed too far from the mainstream to matter. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Co Armagh.
