Red light runners
Sir, – While cycling to work this morning I was nearly broadsided by a driver breaking a red light. He was so late that “my” light had been green for a couple of seconds. I guessed that he might copy the other light-breaking drivers in front of him, so the only outcome was some heavy braking on my part and a bit of shouting.
This got me thinking for the rest of my commute about how the idea has become entrenched in the minds of so many drivers that breaking red lights is legitimate. First, the chances of being caught for the offence are effectively zero. RSA figures show about one penalty-point notice per day for this offence across the entire country and while there’s been talk of red-light cameras, the glacial approach to this tried-and-tested technology thus far doesn’t inspire hope of seeing them at scale any time soon.
Second, if the driver had struck and injured me, the chances are that he would be charged with careless driving, even though common sense would suggest that knowingly driving through a red light this late is extremely dangerous. Finally, if convicted, sentencing would likely look favourably on the fact that the driver needs the car for work so it’s probable that he would suffer no loss of driving privileges.
Unfortunately, the overall emphasis of departments and agencies involved in road safety is still one of making sure that vulnerable road-users do everything possible to protect themselves from bad drivers (I was wearing bright clothing, had bright lights and was wearing a helmet), with enforcement and safe engineering usually secondary in a “traffic-flow” dominated environment.
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To some people this probably just sounds like yet another cyclist complaining, but until a harm-reduction approach is applied to the way we design our streets, and to how the criminal justice system balances the responsibilities of drivers with the safety of vulnerable road-users, there seems very little prospect of drivers like the one that I experienced this morning changing how they operate their cars. – Yours, etc,
DAVE MATHIESON,
Salthill,
Galway.
The Gaza ceasefire
Sir, – The people of Gaza have every reason to fear an out-of-control Trump, supporting Israel, and bent on their eradication.
The Gaza ceasefire had three phases. Phase one was completed successfully. Hostages and prisoners were freed. But Israel has refused to engage with phase two, which spelt out the removal of its troops and an end to the war. In this phase, Hamas promised to release all remaining hostages at once. They’ve also made clear they will not be part of the government of Gaza on the “day after”.
The Arab peace proposal is a detailed plan for the $53bn reconstruction of Gaza, while its traumatised people remain in place. It would give Palestinians less than 22 per cent of their historic homeland, and in return Israel would gain normalisation with all of its Arab and Muslim neighbours, including Iran. It also spells out a roadmap for Palestinian and international governance of the strip during the rebuilding of the bombed, rubble-strewn enclave.
Yet the ink was barely dry before Israel and the US rejected the plan, and Trump issued his demand for release of all the hostages, with no reciprocal action or releases of Palestinians. This is a breach of the carefully crafted ceasefire deal. It is clear Trump supports the restart of Israel’s genocidal attacks on the people of Gaza. The beginning is starving them of all aid. And still the Irish Government stalls on sanctions. Yours, etc,
BETTY PURCELL,
Dublin 6W.
Neutrality, war and peace
Sir, – The ongoing clamour in this writer’s humble opinion for war and its preparations bring great sadness to myself and my family. If anyone wants a reminder as to what war looks like then they should re-listen to the Drivetime reports from RTÉ recently on the Omagh bombing and its effects on the people there today. I witnessed, like many of my northern brethren, the horrible and sickening reports of death and destruction for more than three decades.
We should all ask ourselves: would we want our children or grandchildren to participate in this destruction of life?
There is no doubt our Defence Forces are weak, and I believe they should be built up to be strong and capable, but act only in a peacekeeping role using the triple-lock procedure.
We should let the people decide, as it is their families who will suffer. War is not a solution. – Yours, etc,
PAUL DORAN,
Clondalkin,
Dublin.
Sir, – Ireland started its policy of neutrality as a matter of expediency. We had quite recently come out of a harrowing War of Independence and an utterly calamitous Civil War. Antipathy towards the principal member on the side of the allies, Britain, was what could have been expected of a newly independent colony. Also remember that nobody knew at the outset who the victors in the second World War were going to be.
Since Ireland joined what was to become the European Union in 1973 it has played an exemplary part in its development. In that sense we have come to be known as model Europeans.
But things have changed, fundamentally and very quickly. Keir Starmer’s “crossroads” speech in the British parliament recently could have been directed at Ireland. The situation now is that our much-vaunted neutrality puts us in real danger of being seen to be a lapdog of Trumpian America, and therefore, and very definitely, a backer of Putin’s Russia.
It all adds up to the reality that if we are unable to join Starmer’s and Macron’s “Coalition of The Willing” and do our, albeit relatively tiny, part to defend Zelenskiy’s Ukraine, we run the very real risk of becoming the pariah of Europe. We will be seen to belong to the unwilling. That is not a legacy I want to leave to my grandchildren. – Yours, etc,
SEAMUS McKENNA,
Maynooth,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – On defence and neutrality, Mary Lou McDonald and the leadership of Sinn Féin continue to show Trump levels of “misunderstanding” of the nature of the world and of our history.
Sweden and Finland, as neutral EU countries, and neutral Switzerland have always maintained high levels of defence spending, often together with compulsory military service.
During the second World War, when this country last had to actually take action to preserve our non-belligerence, we had around four times more personnel in our Defence Forces than today, largely poorly equipped because of a failure to invest enough in defence before the war.
Ní hé lá na gaoithe lá na scolb: don’t wait for the day of the storm to fix your roof. – Yours, etc,
LIAM MULLIGAN,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.
Trump and Zelenskiy
Sir, – I am currently touring the western states of the US, meeting a wide range of people and discussing the current administration. It is fascinating to observe the deep divide in public sentiment surrounding Donald Trump.
On one hand, many express frustration over real, immediate concerns like inflation – the rising cost of living hitting their wallets daily. The price of eggs, in particular, is a hot topic of conversation. On the other hand, his supporters continue to rally behind him on broader, less tangible issues like immigration – an emotive subject that, while significant, does not impact everyone’s day-to-day life in the same way.
This dynamic underscores an old political truth: when push comes to shove, people tend to vote with their wallets. The famous phrase “It’s the economy, stupid” may once again prove prophetic. If economic struggles persist, ideological loyalties may falter in the face of financial reality. In the end, no rhetoric can outmatch the power of an empty wallet. – Yours, etc,
ENDA CULLEN,
Armagh.
Sir, – Given US president Donald Trump’s recent withdrawal of military support to Ukraine, the time for talking is over. The European Union needs to stand up, unite and fast-track Ukraine into the EU and defend their sovereign right to be free.
The result of this decision, whatever it may be, must be faced not feared, as we cannot wait hoping that things will eventually calm down.
Europe now needs to develop and build its own defence strategy, strong enough to ensure the safety of its people and borders, which must include all the EU partners, including Ireland. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL STOREY,
Glencar,
Co Sligo.
Sir, – I watched the meeting between US president Donald Trump, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and US vice-president JD Vance with dismay, not least when Zelenskiy was asked whether or not he owned a suit and why he was not wearing one. At the time I noted the bust of Winston Churchill clearly visible to all in attendance. I wondered why nobody seemed to be aware of the significance of this.
During the second World War, Churchill regularly wore army fatigues as a symbol of leadership and a demonstration of solidarity with the armed forces. Historically, the use of military dress by politicians was not uncommon during wartime. When the war ends, I’m sure Zelenskiy will be more than happy to wear a suit. – Yours, etc,
KATHRYN MacQUILLAN,
Killiney,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Ukrainian refugees, who have been here for some years, are now threatened with loss of their accommodation. What can we do to help?
Ireland also provides the land for Donald Trump’s golf course. What is he contributing to the taxpayers of Ireland’s funds in aid of Ukraine? The thought crossed my mind that Doonbeg would make a lovely site for the building of a model village for long-term Ukrainian refugees whose homes have been Russified. It could be compulsorily purchased for a token sum if he didn’t like to make restitution for pulling the plug on US aid for Ukraine. – Yours, etc,
NEIL BRENNAN,
Shanakiel,
Co Cork.
All okay with the world
Sir, - I opened The Irish Times with some trepidation on Wednesday morning but I was very pleasantly surprised to see that beautiful photograph from Crosshaven. It has the quality of a painting and looking at it brought a sense of joy. With the sun shining and the daffodils out, the photograph made me feel that all was okay with the world even for a few brief moments. Thank you to David Creedan for taking such a beautiful photograph and to The Irish Times for publishing it on the front page. – Yours, etc,
URSULA GAVIN,
Terenure,
Dublin 6W.
Vacancy and holiday houses
Sir, – Lorcan Sirr’s excellent article How has ‘public squalor’ become so normalised in our towns and cities? (Thursday, March 6th) is to be commended. We need to aspire to the notion of private sufficiency and public luxury in Ireland instead of the squalor we are now faced with.
Mr Sirr tells us there is “a cultural aversion to interfering with what people do with their properties or even asking owners what they are doing with them is part of the problem. An assumption that property rights are non-negotiable and take precedence over the common good has also led to a propensity for people doing what they want with their property or nothing at all.”
Along with dereliction, can we please talk about the phenomenon of small affordable older houses being bought up by wealthy purchasers from elsewhere, pricing local young and not so young workers out of the market. These “holiday houses” often lie empty for most of the year. How is this in the interest of common good? Could we apply a “local needs policy” to purchasing a second home?
Dereliction, vacancy and second homes all need to be questioned. None of them contributes to a sustainable way of life. – Yours, etc,
MARY CRILLY,
Dunleer,
Co Louth.
A word for our times
Sir, – In light of the fact that the Trump administration’s peculiar brand of realpolitik leaves a lot to be desired, might the term “MAGA-phone diplomacy” qualify as a neologism? – Yours, etc,
PAUL DELANEY,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
