Why are we shouldering burden of climate action?

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan recently stated, rather naively, that “Ireland’s Climate Action Plan was the most ambitious in the world”, costing €125bn up to 2030.

This is despite Ireland’s contribution to global warming being 0.11pc of the world total, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the foremost authority on global warming. More importantly, the UNFCCC also states that the countries of the world should ­participate in the effort to stabilise the climate “based on their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities”.

Our responsibility for global warming is minuscule in world terms, and our financial capability is severely diminished by issues such as an unprecedented national debt of €250bn, a huge housing and homeless crisis, an underfunded health system under enormous pressure, an underfunded energy supply and security infrastructure creaking to its core, an ongoing and costly Covid pandemic – as well as many other problems.

Further, Ireland’s contribution to global warming is seriously and unfairly represented by the well-documented consumption/production anomaly, in that emissions of all our agricultural and other exports are accounted for in our total emissions, while we are also responsible for the emissions of all fossil fuels imported from Saudi Arabia, Russia and other suppliers.

Ireland made unattainable commitments at the Paris Agreement in 2015 and then failed to comply with those commitments for the next six years, earning us the moniker of world climate laggards and costing millions in the purchase of carbon credits.

Now, magically, according to Mr Ryan and the Green Party, we are about to become world leaders on climate change.

It would be very illuminating if Mr Ryan and the many experts in the field would explain in detail the following:

How will the €125bn be financed?

How much will the climate proposals cost the average household?

Will the costs add to our already unprecedented and unaffordable national debt of €250bn?

John Leahy

Wilton Road, Cork

Hurling best served by not bringing in black card

I have read suggestions from some GAA mentors to introduce the black card for hurling. Having watched senior county and club hurling games week on week, I marvel at the skill, rivalry and entertainment under current rules.

It is as clear as black and white that the game is best served by leaving the black card out of hurling.

T McElligott

Raheen, Limerick

Fare play, please, for public transport in rural Ireland

I note with interest the introduction of a 90-minute integrated fare of €2.30 on Dublin pubic transport (‘New ‘90-minute’ fare which will allow Dublin passengers transfer between bus, Luas and Dart comes into operation,’ Independent.ie, November 28).

The bus from Carraroe, Co Galway, to Galway city takes about an hour and eight minutes, and yet an adult fare is €13.

By rights, if we are now moving to a time- based transport fare, an adult bus ticket from Carraroe to Galway city should cost €1.74.

Can anyone among the people who run our State (largely politicians and civil servants) explain the logic, joined-up thinking or lack of equity in these facts?

Some might say that in rural Ireland because we are simple folk who cannot do mathematics we simply won’t realise the shafting we are being subjected to. Until such time as there is equity in services provided to us who live in rural Ireland, I am not sure there will be genuine support for any government policies towards rural Ireland.

If the tables were turned and the Dublin area fare were €17.21 (an equitable ticket price based on what we pay), Mr Ryan might find empty seats on all Dublin public transport. Can we please have equitable bus fares in rural Ireland?

P Sloane

Carraroe, Co Galway

Stop pumping taxpayers’ money into pharma giants

We now need to be able to live our best lives with this pandemic and stop putting the fear of God into everyone. Stop pumping taxpayers’ money into the pharma companies and put it into increasing bed capacity in line with expected requirements.

Adjust the health services to public needs and not the other way around.

Marie O’Sullivan

Castletroy, Co Limerick