Letters to the Editor, September 28th: Health insurance costs, Gaza and driven to distraction
Sir, – Like clockwork, health insurance renewals and increases etc are doing the rounds again. This annual ritual of obfuscation and bamboozling by health insurers has become intolerable. Plans are constantly rejigged, cover levels shuffled, and prices inflated well beyond any justification. What was covered last year is now an “optional extra” or only available on a plan that costs €2,000 more. It is deliberate complexity. The consumer is forced to become an actuary just to try to maintain the same level of cover they had the year before. And then comes the Groundhog Day we all have to endure on national radio. We hear the same experts wheeled out to give us “insights” on how to pick the right plan, how to shop around, how to use comparison tools. The very fact we need a guidebook to navigate health insurance shows the system is broken. Let’s call it what it is: clear manipulation. This is not a competitive market working for the consumer; it is a market designed to confuse the consumer into paying more for less. Loyalty is punished, and genuine comparison is made almost impossible. Health insurance is not a luxury, it is essential for anyone who wants timely access to care in this country. When will the Government and the Health Insurance Authority recognise that self-regulation has failed? We need standardised, plain-English plans, a ban on this constant reshuffling of cover to hide price hikes, and real price controls. – Yours, etc, JULIAN McCORMICK, Bray, Co Wicklow. Delivering on dementia services Sir, – As the Government prepares Budget 2027 , value for money is rightly at the centre of debate. Few investments offer a clearer return than helping people with dementia to live at home and in their communities where they choose to be. More than 69,000 people are currently estimated to live with dementia, rising to 150,000 by 2045. That increase in the short term is unavoidable; spiralling costs are not. With timely community support, people can remain independent longer, families receive essential help and pressure on hospitals’ emergency departments, the number of days spent in hospital, early admission to the Fair Deal scheme and social protection is reduced. Independent analysis commissioned by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland estimates that adequate, community-focused dementia services could deliver annual savings of €476 million in 2027. Those savings would come from fewer emergency department visits and hospital admissions, later entry to the Fair Deal scheme and reduced social protection costs associated with carer burnout. Our eight-point plan in our pre-budget submission calls for targeted investment in community dementia support and services, creating a foundation that can be scaled as need grows. Budget 2027 presents a simple choice: invest now in care that people want and the State can afford, or pay far more later. Community dementia care is not only compassionate policy; it is sound economics. – Yours, etc, PHILIPPE CARR, Advocacy manager, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. A conflicting approach Sir, – An Taoiseach, in his speech to the UN last Thursday (September 24th) said that “Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine is more deadly for civilians than at any point since the start of their full-scale invasion”. He also described the situation in Gaza as “an affront to all that is decent”. These are admirably clear and direct statements. But they are in contrast to the approach being taken domestically by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Minister of State at the Department of Justice Colm Brophy. The Ministers are requiring thousands of refugees from Ukraine to leave their accommodation in the coming months, leaving many with an invidious choice: find accommodation on a reduced accommodation recognition payment (ARP) from a dwindling pool of pledgers; attempt to rent through the private market, which is beyond many; or, worst of all, return to a Ukraine still at war. The Department of Justice is also taking a particular interpretation of EU law on Ukraine, which we dispute, that means a person will not receive protection in Ireland if they have had it in another member state, regardless of whether meaningful protection exists there. Also, for the around 115 students from Gaza who have been refused visas by O’Callaghan, the Taoiseach’s words will ring hollow, particularly in the context of Israel either destroying or badly damaging every university in Gaza. If we talk the talk on human rights internationally, that also means walking the walk domestically. – Yours, etc, NICK HENDERSON, Chief Executive Officer, Irish Refugee Council, Dublin. Sir, – It is shocking to read that the travesty which the Minister for Justice is conducting against a group of more than 30 Gaza students continues and is now being played out in the High Court. Not shocking that the case is being heard in the High Court – it is hoped that the students will find some justice there – but shocking that the Minister would continue to cling to the outdated notion that in relation to services, everyone should be treated the same and therefore insist that the Gaza students comply with the same requirements as applicants from all other countries; for instance that they provide original copies of their education records and their bank details. In a bizarre coincidence, the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, spoke movingly about Gaza to the United Nations General Assembly last week. Among other points he said: “When the true horrors of Gaza are finally and fully revealed, it will shame the world.” Significantly, he went on to say, the international community has “failed Palestine” and he criticised last year’s Gaza peace plan, saying that it has not “changed the reality on the ground”. Strong and sympathetic words but, in light of the refusal of the visas, we must wonder what sort of conflicting realities the Taoiseach operates in? And where does he see Ireland in relation to the international community that he says has failed Palestine? Against this bizarre and confusing backdrop, the rejected students continue the long wait for a decision that will allow them to take up their scholarships in Ireland. We can only imagine their anguish. It seems unbelievably heartless that a State that professes to be aware of the chronic suffering of the people of Gazawould inflict such grievous pain and disappointment on a group of young people who have endured horrific wartime conditions – not only in the last three years but throughout their lives – and who have bravely pinned their hopes on a relatively short period of study in a peaceful country. I think most Irish people would have expected our Government to respond proactively to their efforts to study in Ireland and to look for ways to support their applications as much as possible. Instead we and the students are faced with this shameful Government response that seems to be looking for all possible excuses to refuse their visa applications. – Yours, etc, ANN MORONEY, Avondale Road, Dublin 7. A sad sight Sir, – This morning while enjoying an al fresco breakfast at my current location, I noticed a dad and his little girl doing similar. The charming child was living her best life, naturally present in the moment. All the while, her dad scrolled on his phone as though his life depended on it. This was the saddest thing I have seen in quite some time. – Yours, etc, FRANK J BYRNE, Gran Canaria, Spain. Exercised by excise tax Sir, – In Eoin Burke-Kennedy’s recent economic commentary (“ The issue that keeps Simon Harris awake at night ”, September 25th), he repeatedly asserts that the Government is subsidising fossil fuels through excise duty cuts. This is misleading. A subsidy implies that the Government is giving something to the public. It is not. Excise duty is a tax, and a tax that has been modestly reduced is still a tax. – Yours, etc, PHILIP WHEATLEY, Bray, Co Wicklow. Rethinking fossil fuels approach Sir, – Every day in your paper headlines, articles and editorials address the cost of electricity, home heating and fuel that drives our economy. That is hardly surprising as we import over 80 per cent of our natural gas and 100 per cent of our petroleum and diesel. We have no control whatsoever over the cost of fossil fuels. Some years ago the government of the day passed legislation banning future exploration for oil and gas in our waters, putting us in this perilous situation. The Barryroe oil and gasfield 50 kilometres off the south coast has estimated reserves of hundreds of millions of barrels of oil and natural gas. This field exists in relatively shallow waters. The intention at the time to make exploration illegal was correct to promote reduction and eventual elimination of the use of fossil fuels. However, we are now paying a huge price for that decision. Maybe now is the time to revisit that legislation and allow the Barryroe field to be developed. Yes, we need to wean ourselves off fossil fuels, but this needs to done in an orderly manner, not in a knee-jerk one thus far. Fossil fuels will be with us for some time but in the meantime we need fuel security until such time as wind and solar energy supply all our needs. – Yours, etc, VINCENT CARROLL, Dublin. Culture vouchers and necessity Sir, – I understand that different departments have different budgets, and that public money cannot easily be lifted out of one pot and dropped into another. I am also not against young people having better access to culture. However, I find it deeply uncomfortable that we can find money for €100 culture vouchers while some people will ration food and go without heat this winter. At some point, public spending has to reflect a hierarchy of need. I know where I would rather my taxes go first. – Yours, etc, FIONA DALY, Dublin 3. Sir, – Regarding the Government proposal to provide 16-year-olds with a “culture voucher” in Budget 2027, we should bear in mind that a lot of the parents of these same 16-year-olds are “put to the pin of one’s collar” with bills, debt and – in a lot of cases – energy poverty. In my own personal experience of rearing six children, all whom have passed their 16th year and more, I must say they were the likely culprits of gross energy waste in our household. Based on this year’s Leaving Certificate student numbers of around 71,600, and based on just those figures alone, that’s a wasteful €7,160,000. How many parents chant the daily mantra of “who left the immersion on?” or watch the clock while their teens are basking in 30 showers or with TVs left on in bedrooms, lights left ablaze like the Blackpool illuminations, incessant charging of mobile devices and much more? So, please, those making these decisions about budget spends, spare a thought for the cash-strapped parents who get up early every day to go to work to support their energy-wasting teens and divert the funds where it’s really appreciated – and that is to support these parents with energy supports. Or, give the vouchers to local community service providers and let the teens go and earn the voucher by volunteering in the local community; they can receive the voucher after a period of maybe 30 hours volunteering as a reward for same. – Yours, etc, MICHAEL TREACY, Ratoath, Co Meath. Education during world conflict Sir,– Education is one of the most powerful investments we can make in a child’s future. Yet today, millions of children around the world are denied the opportunity to learn because of poverty, conflict, displacement and climate-related crises. Against this backdrop, Ireland’s recent pledge of €40 million to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) for 2026-2030 is a welcome and important commitment. At a time when international development budgets are under pressure globally, continued investment in education sends a strong signal that Ireland remains committed to supporting children and young people in some of the world’s most disadvantaged communities. The announcement comes just days after World Vision Ireland, together with Plan International Ireland, Save the Children in Ireland and Unicef Ireland, hosted an event during Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union examining how children can be better protected and prioritised in humanitarian responses. Young people were given the opportunity to share their perspectives on decisions that affect their lives. One participant captured the transformative power of learning simply and powerfully: “No amount of motivation can ever equal education.” Those words are a reminder that education is more than a development indicator. It is a pathway out of poverty, a source of dignity and opportunity, and a foundation upon which children can build their futures. For children affected by conflict, displacement and crisis, access to quality education can be life-changing. The Global Partnership for Education plays a vital role in helping lower-income countries strengthen education systems, improve learning outcomes and ensure schools are more inclusive and resilient. At a time when more than 270 million children worldwide are out of school, sustained investment in education has never been more important. Ireland’s pledge is therefore more than a financial commitment. It is an investment in the potential of millions of children and a welcome demonstration of continued Irish leadership on global education. – Yours, etc, GILLIAN BARNETT, World Vision Ireland. Driven to distraction Sir, – I passed a delivery driver yesterday with three screens visible on his dashboard. One was a map for navigation – which is totally fair – but it was sandwiched between a tablet showing a movie and a phone displaying TikTok. I know work can be boring but resorting to surround sound and several screens behind the wheel feels like a step too far. Who greenlit this behaviour? – Yours, etc, SORCHA KEOGH, Co Dublin.