Sir, – It is notable to see the farmers of Ireland standing shoulder to shoulder with hauliers in protest over rising fuel costs. Solidarity, it seems, matters.
But it prompts a question. Might farmers also consider standing shoulder to shoulder with PAYE workers, who operate under a far less accommodating system?
Irish farming receives approximately €2 billion annually in support from the EU and the State. That may be justified. However, it sits uneasily alongside a tax framework that allows for significant flexibility. Stock relief, access to green diesel and generous capital tax reliefs on farm transfers all materially reduce tax exposure.
The PAYE worker, by contrast, pays tax in real time, with little scope for adjustment or relief.
READ MORE
If we are serious about fairness, then this imbalance deserves scrutiny. Solidarity should not stop at sectoral lines – it should extend to how the burden is shared. – Yours, etc
GREG McCONKEY
Dartry,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Where was the Army in November 2023 when the so-called Dublin riots raged? Where was the Army when Luas carriages, police vehicles and buses were ablaze in our capital?
Where was the Army when far-right aggressors ran amok and intimated citizens and police at several immigrant centres around the country? Have riots or looting taken place by any of the protesters this week anywhere in the country? I think you’ll find they haven’t.
What a disgraceful response by a tone-deaf Government who are as far removed from yet another cost-of-living crisis as a frog is from feathers. – Yours, etc,
DR DAMIEN DUFFY
Connemara,
Co Galway.
Sir, – A protester on the so-called “peaceful protest” said on radio this morning that they were “prepared to shut the country down if that is what it takes”. It beggars belief. – Yours, etc,
LAURA O’MARA
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – I, too, was gobsmacked by the array of fancy tractors parked on O’Connell Street (Letters, April 10th). Sparkling and shiny, said tractors looked like they’d just left the showrooms.
There wasn’t a speck of dirt or mud to be seen. I actually remarked at just how clean the gigantic wheels were. They certainly put my ’00 Yaris and my ’06 Corolla into the ha’penny place. – Yours, etc,
DEE DELANY
Raheny,
Dublin.
Sir, – Hats off to Dublin’s bus drivers for their endless patience in explaining the workaround routes to fretful passengers, navigating their way around unfamiliar roads to avoid the blockaded city centre, and bringing their charges as near as possible to their route destinations.
At least that was my experience yesterday (April 9th) and anecdotally of others. An extra well-meant “thank you” when disembarking was the least I could do. – Yours, etc,
HUGH McDONNELL
Glasnevin,
Dublin 9.
Sir, – What a naive fool I’ve been. I have been living my life observing double yellow lines and bylaws, spending cumulative hours looking for appropriate parking spaces, and spending God knows how much over the years on parking tickets.
Little did I know that all along I have had the freedom to leave my vehicle wherever I please, with no fear of any repercussions, clamps, fines, tow trucks or Garda intervention – if only I had claimed I was protesting fuel prices. – Yours, etc,
JOE LEOGUE
Douglas,
Cork.
Sir, – It is time for the Government to listen to the people. The Naval Service must be dispatched immediately to establish safe passage for tankers through the Hormuz strait. – Yours, etc,
PAT MURPHY
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.
