By Letters To The Editor

Copyright independent

As 34-year-old Fr David Vard, the parish priest in Stradbally, Co Laois, and Mary Aoife-Ong, director of Carlo Acutis Ireland, kept saying, “something significant is happening”. It concerns not just Catholic practices, but political practices.

Talented, qualified Generation Z young men and women are getting impatient with greedy, self-serving top religious and political people and their financial backers and irres-ponsible media cheerleaders (or sneer-leaders).

They rightly object to an intoler-able dearth of opportunities.

Just as the “nothing to lose but your chains” slogan recruited and inspired early communists, so too are Gen Z rebels determined to be heard and heeded.

They are not inhibited by too much respect for religious and political elders.

We have an opportunity in Ireland to steer this justified, unstoppable development into peaceful religious channels. Otherwise, it will erupt.

Joe Foyle, Ranelagh, Dublin

Perhaps Áras hopefuls could team up and form the perfect candidate

The list of potential presidential candi-dates is becoming clearer as we approach polling day next month.

I still do not know who to vote for. All potential candidates have admir-able qualities.

I think it is important that the next president is fluent as Gaeilge, as Catherine Connolly is. After all, Irish is our first recognised language in the constitution.

Heather Humphreys is a Protest-ant who has attended Orange Order marches in the past. As discussions about Irish unity are likely to increase during the lifespan of the next presi-dency, -unionists might see that Ireland is not a cold place for them with Heather Humphreys in the office.

Jim Gavin is a high achiever, both professionally and in his sporting life. However, does he have the personality for the job? We should find out as we get to know him over the next few weeks.

Gareth Sheridan is a, successful businessman. He represents a young generation that left Ireland and found success abroad.

If we could combine the qualities of all these candidates – a young Protestant entrepreneur who is líofa sa Ghaeilge and has excelled in sports – that person would get my No 1.

Tommy Roddy, Ballybane, Co Galway

Government may find it has no choice but to extend cost-of-living measures

As up to 300,000 households may be in arrears with their electricity bills, despite the fact that they have been in receipt of electricity grants in recent years, one wonders how much pressure the Government is coming under to relent and extend the cost-of-living measures in the next budget?

It becomes more problematic for the Coalition when you factor in giving such generous Vat reductions to the hospitality sector.

The danger is, when you start giving freebies away, as the then government did during Covid-19 in the first instance, and then in the kind of cost-of-living crisis of 2022, they are extremely hard to take back.

I suppose the government, even with inflation coming down the road, was not minded to withdraw those supports before a general election, for obvious reasons.

This being the first budget since the election, our leaders now feel this is the one opportunity they have to probably unwind or take away such goodies; but the pressure is real because of the number of families who have come to rely on these kinds of energy credits.

The Government is also caught on the horns of a dilemma, because you have the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) screaming about reining in spending.

We learn that the State is running structural deficits once windfall taxes are taken out.

The State using windfall tax reven-ues for spending is viewed by Ifac as a big no-no.

John O’Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary

Trump’s presidency will be remembered for rude, undignified behaviour

An Australian journalist asked Donald Trump about his “business activity” and got shut down swiftly.

The official White House account later reported about “a rude foreign Fake News loser”.

Oh, the eloquence and sophistication of the president and the official online voice.

Much of this presidency will be defined and remembered by those words – “rude”, “fake” and “loser”.

The reader can decide how they want to use these words and many other pejoratives or, if they wish to, some praise – though that is less likely.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

As Americanisms spread, it seems RTÉ is no longer speaking my language

RTÉ radio is running a promotion at the moment regarding its new autumn schedule.

The emphasis appears to be on “conversation”.

However, listening to a “conversation” recently on the Brendan O’Connor weekend show, I was struck by the use of the term “Generation Zee”. What has happened to “Zed”?

A promotion during the same show for a follow-up programme to RTÉ’s The Traitors would, according to the voice-over, “look under the hood” of The Traitors. The “hood”? Where have all the bonnets gone?

Who, exactly, are these “conversations” aimed at?

Peter Declan O’Halloran, Belturbet, Co Cavan

Charming screen icon Redford is a huge loss to Hollywood – and to me

Robert Redford was that rare combination of matinee idol, serious actor and principled activist (‘Robert Redford, screen idol turned Oscar–winning director, dies aged 89’, Irish Independent, September 17).

From Butch Cassidy to All the President’s Men, he gave us charm and substance.

He also founded the Sundance Festival, which did more for independent cinema than a hundred studio bosses with gold cufflinks.

Now that he has gone, the world has lost a screen legend; and I, in my own small way, find myself one actor short.

Should I ever improbably “make it big”, Hollywood will have to make do with Daniel Day-Lewis after all.

Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Armagh