miércoles, 28 de octubre de 2026
PressDato

How Catholic bishops could help tackle homelessness

General
The Irish Times · Irlanda · Prensahace 2 horas

Sir, – Catholic bishops have said more needs to be done on homelessness. How many vacant homes, including parish homes, are dotted around our towns and villages in Ireland?

I wonder whether the Catholic bishops would consider gifting those empty properties to their local authorities to be reimagined as homes? With nearly 18,000 people experiencing homelessness, we need to start somewhere.

– Yours, etc,BER GROGAN,Executive director,Simon Communities of Ireland, Dublin 7.

Más de General en Irlanda

General

Is English a foreign language?

Sir, – I read with interest your article headlined “‘The focus is finding people from Ireland’: The EU’s big ask for new English translators,” (Business, October 26th). It is noted in the article that Ireland has the lowest proportion of secondary school students who study two or more foreign languages. Is English not technically a foreign language? In Ireland, most secondary school students study either French, German or Spanish in addition to English and our native Irish. If English were to be correctly classified as a foreign language, then the statement that Ireland has the lowest proportion of teenagers who study two or more foreign languages would not hold true. – Yours, etc, THOMAS HAYDEN,Carrickmines,Dublin.

The Irish Times · Irlandahace 2 horas
General

Fond memories of having our Mary cake and eating it

Sir, – Geoff Scargill (Letters, October 27th) glories in his recollection of the Bewley’s Mary cake and recounts that it was “an unforgettable childhood treat”. Well Geoff, I can tell you it wasn’t just a childhood treat. I’d known about it as Bewley’s in Grafton Street was a favourite watering hole with my parents. When I was at UCD in Earlsfort Terrace in the 1960s, before exam time we went to a cafe around the corner in Leeson Street armed with the Nutshell revision booklet on Roman law. It was a subject I much liked and I offered to help my friends with it. At some point, I told my friends about an alternative billet and what was on offer in Grafton Street so we went there. When they had their first taste of the sumptuous Mary cake, they were hooked. As far as I remember, they passed that Roman…

The Irish Times · Irlandahace 2 horas
General

Restrictions on political donations mean Ireland has avoided Reform UK-style controversy

Sir, – Recent revelations concerning Reform UK’s receipt of corporate donations are a timely reminder of how easily political funding can have an impact on democratic processes. Reports that a large share of Reform UK’s donations in 2025–2026 came from individuals or companies based overseas, alongside a controversy over foreign donations, have prompted police investigation and legitimate public concern. The episode illustrates the risks when large sums, opaque corporate structures and cross-border donors intersect with electoral politics. Ireland is right to be proud that its political funding rules are considerably more restrictive. Registered corporate donors here remain subject to relatively low limits. These limits do not eliminate the influence of money, but they make the kind of vast, concentrated corporate or offshore backed donations seen in the United Kingdom (or of even more concern in the United States) far harder to achieve in Irish elections. It may be that our…

The Irish Times · Irlandahace 2 horas
General

Homes in the Gaeltacht

Sir, – As someone whose mother was from Inis Mór, it is exasperating to see successive governments pay lip service to our Gaeltachtaí and islands without any meaningful reform to their housing problem. If they really wish to protect them and give young people a chance of their own home and at the same time ensure the language’s survival, they must reform local planning laws and prohibit the sale of houses to outsiders as holiday homes. If people want to buy there they must live there also and commit to learning Irish. I’m sure this would have a dampening effect on house prices. – Yours, etc,ENDA SCANLON, Ennis,Co Clare.

The Irish Times · Irlandahace 2 horas