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A letter writer highlights seven Irish Times stories from August 29th criticising government spending priorities, including €407 million in extended excise duty cuts alongside unmet needs in housing, youth justice, thalidomide apologies and rising public service costs.
Sir, - Here are summaries of seven stories that caught my attention, all of which appeared in The Irish Times on Saturday August 29th. They give a fascinating record of governance and priorities for our Government in our Republic today.
The Government, fearful of criticism, decided it was a good idea to extend the excise duty cuts, which will increase the bill by a further €407 million to more than €1.3 billion by the end of this year. Thalidomide, the drug that wreaked havoc with the lives of so many citizens, was withdrawn from the Irish market in 1961. Mary Clarken, aged 96, the mother of thalidomide survivor Sharon Clarken, is still waiting for a State apology 65 years later.
In another area of public concern, electric vehicle public charging prices have continued to rise, prompting many drivers to ask whether they can save money by shopping around for better rates at different charging point operators. Since March 2025 at least 50 requests for places for boys convicted of or on remand for serious crimes have been unmet due to a lack of available places and staff in the relevant facilities.
Meanwhile, the number of homeless people in the State has increased to 17,527, of which 5,659 are children. The €407 million figure mentioned above is the equivalent cost of one year of providing homeless services in Dublin, raising serious questions about how public funds are being allocated. A separate story reported that a general practitioner and her elderly mother were awarded €12,000 over a Dundrum clinic receptionist's disrespectful conduct towards them during a visit.
Another feature explored the long road taken by immigrants to Ireland, with one contributor remarking that the Irish are very secretive and often do not tell you important things about how society works. A further article examined the growing phenomenon of loneliness among people in their thirties, with one individual explaining how loneliness has become a defining feature of life since turning 30.
Finally, a worrying report highlighted that children are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for advice, with terrifying examples illustrating where this trend can lead when young people receive inappropriate or harmful guidance. Surely it is time for the Government to be held to account over its record on these serious issues, and to explain how it proposes to resolve them, rather than spend endless amounts of money on issues that avoid controversy but do little to build an equal Republic. - Yours, etc
Government Accountability Excise Duty Cuts Housing Crisis Homelessness Thalidomide Apology
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