The new laws ostensibly aimed at relieving the housing crisis by destroying the concept and availability of Airbnb are another example of the moral bankruptcy of the Government and Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy.
The original concept of Airbnb – travellers on a low budget staying with families in their own homes and being given information on the locality or town – is terrific.
Those property owners who abuse this concept are anathema to us, and are reported to the national organisation.
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But, those aberrants only account for a tiny percentage of Airbnb accommodation.
Any TD, any minister, God bless them, or uncivil servant with two brain cells to rub together will know the outcome of this pretence of a policy will not alter the disaster of homelessness in any way.
However much is the cost, the building of new municipal housing is the only answer to the misery of tens of thousands of our people.
The thought of the suffering of the children brings tears to the eye and an all-consuming hatred of the hypocrisy of the members of our governments whose raison d’être is the perpetuation of the status quo of their class, and whose laws and lack of action for the benefit of anyone else borders on the criminal.
How much longer can we pretend to be a Christian country when we don’t care what is done in our name?
George Dalzell
Stillorgan, Co Dublin
Gender ideology is based on turning logic on its head
I have no problem with gender issues being dealt with in schools, provided it is done so on a solid scientific/biological basis.
As of my last reading of biology journals, science teaches that there are two genders, male and female.
Gender ideology, of course, rejects the scientific evidence. But, even then, it is fraught with anomalies. For example, recently it was reported in the US that a young boy, identifying as a male, successfully won a case for gender discrimination against his school because he was not allowed to use the girls’ toilets. The logic of his case was insurmountable.
The corollary of this case, of course, is that a girl, identifying as a female, should be allowed to use the boys’ toilets. Otherwise she would be a victim of gender discrimination.
Gender ideology is based on turning logic on its head. I can’t wait for the fun and games we will have if it is introduced to our schools. The possible legalistic and insurance pitfalls are myriad. You have been warned.
Eric Conway
Navan, Co Meath
South American beef deal should be welcomed
I welcome the Mercosur deal and hope Ireland supports it.
Some 100,000 tonnes of South American beef in a European market of 500 million consumers is roughly two burgers per European per year. It is a significant amount, but it is not the catastrophe that farm unions claim.
Given the share of world beef trade represented by Mercosur, I think Ireland should grab this deal with both hands as it grants only modest access to the European market from a huge source of world beef.
It will safeguard our beef sector from any larger market opening to South American beef for many years to come. Effectively, our most dangerous competitor will have only 1pc of our market for decades.
If Europe rejects the deal, South American beef will not disappear and the threat of greater beef imports will continue to hang over us.
Above all, in a world of Trump and Brexit, this trade deal supports trade and prosperity. As exporters, we depend upon global trade and we also need a more prosperous Europe that can buy more beef. That is far more important to Ireland than the moderate amount of beef access we are conceding.
Paul Tighe
Co Mayo
Climate change demands a cut in international trade
The EU-Mercosur trade deal is not only bad for Irish farmers. Like all large-scale trade deals made with faraway countries, it is disastrous for the environment.
How is the goal to reduce carbon emissions compatible with transporting goods to consumers who live thousands of kilometres away?
This point holds true even more since there is absolutely no need to import beef to Ireland – there is plenty of it here.
The challenge of climate change requires not an increase but a reduction in international trade. There has to be a renewed focus on promoting locally based economies so that goods are produced in the communities that need them, not halfway across the globe.
Philipp Rosemann
Chair of Philosophy, Maynooth University
Source: Read Full Article
Home » Analysis & Comment » Letters to the Editor: 'Wrecking Airbnb will do nothing for housing crisis'
Letters to the Editor: 'Wrecking Airbnb will do nothing for housing crisis'
The new laws ostensibly aimed at relieving the housing crisis by destroying the concept and availability of Airbnb are another example of the moral bankruptcy of the Government and Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy.
The original concept of Airbnb – travellers on a low budget staying with families in their own homes and being given information on the locality or town – is terrific.
Those property owners who abuse this concept are anathema to us, and are reported to the national organisation.
Please log in or register with Independent.ie for free access to this article.
Log In
New to Independent.ie? Create an account
But, those aberrants only account for a tiny percentage of Airbnb accommodation.
Any TD, any minister, God bless them, or uncivil servant with two brain cells to rub together will know the outcome of this pretence of a policy will not alter the disaster of homelessness in any way.
However much is the cost, the building of new municipal housing is the only answer to the misery of tens of thousands of our people.
The thought of the suffering of the children brings tears to the eye and an all-consuming hatred of the hypocrisy of the members of our governments whose raison d’être is the perpetuation of the status quo of their class, and whose laws and lack of action for the benefit of anyone else borders on the criminal.
How much longer can we pretend to be a Christian country when we don’t care what is done in our name?
George Dalzell
Stillorgan, Co Dublin
Gender ideology is based on turning logic on its head
I have no problem with gender issues being dealt with in schools, provided it is done so on a solid scientific/biological basis.
As of my last reading of biology journals, science teaches that there are two genders, male and female.
Gender ideology, of course, rejects the scientific evidence. But, even then, it is fraught with anomalies. For example, recently it was reported in the US that a young boy, identifying as a male, successfully won a case for gender discrimination against his school because he was not allowed to use the girls’ toilets. The logic of his case was insurmountable.
The corollary of this case, of course, is that a girl, identifying as a female, should be allowed to use the boys’ toilets. Otherwise she would be a victim of gender discrimination.
Gender ideology is based on turning logic on its head. I can’t wait for the fun and games we will have if it is introduced to our schools. The possible legalistic and insurance pitfalls are myriad. You have been warned.
Eric Conway
Navan, Co Meath
South American beef deal should be welcomed
I welcome the Mercosur deal and hope Ireland supports it.
Some 100,000 tonnes of South American beef in a European market of 500 million consumers is roughly two burgers per European per year. It is a significant amount, but it is not the catastrophe that farm unions claim.
Given the share of world beef trade represented by Mercosur, I think Ireland should grab this deal with both hands as it grants only modest access to the European market from a huge source of world beef.
It will safeguard our beef sector from any larger market opening to South American beef for many years to come. Effectively, our most dangerous competitor will have only 1pc of our market for decades.
If Europe rejects the deal, South American beef will not disappear and the threat of greater beef imports will continue to hang over us.
Above all, in a world of Trump and Brexit, this trade deal supports trade and prosperity. As exporters, we depend upon global trade and we also need a more prosperous Europe that can buy more beef. That is far more important to Ireland than the moderate amount of beef access we are conceding.
Paul Tighe
Co Mayo
Climate change demands a cut in international trade
The EU-Mercosur trade deal is not only bad for Irish farmers. Like all large-scale trade deals made with faraway countries, it is disastrous for the environment.
How is the goal to reduce carbon emissions compatible with transporting goods to consumers who live thousands of kilometres away?
This point holds true even more since there is absolutely no need to import beef to Ireland – there is plenty of it here.
The challenge of climate change requires not an increase but a reduction in international trade. There has to be a renewed focus on promoting locally based economies so that goods are produced in the communities that need them, not halfway across the globe.
Philipp Rosemann
Chair of Philosophy, Maynooth University
Source: Read Full Article