Peace, not arms
The Seville Declarations clearly showed that Ireland was regarded as having ratified the Nice Treaty on the basis that Ireland had the triple lock.
The triple lock, according to Miche谩l Martin, was 鈥渁 core element鈥, and at 鈥渢he very heart and soul鈥 of Ireland鈥檚 neutrality policy.
To remove the triple lock and replace it with the phrase in accordance with 鈥渢he principles of the United Nations charter鈥 is unacceptable.
Under ReArm Europe, the EU is proposing to spend 鈧700bn on arms.
We are experiencing an artificially hyped-up fear over a supposed imminent Russian invasion; where is the evidence that Russia plans to invade other countries?
In contrast to 鈥淩eArm Europe鈥, why not have an EU agency devoted to understanding conflict and to mediate in conflict areas? Ireland could take the lead, having a constitutional imperative (Article 29.2) to do so.
Elizabeth Cullen
Kilcullen, Co Kildare
Policies pushing up the cost of our food
Consumers across Europe are asking why food prices have surged so dramatically in recent years.
As a farm advocacy group, the Beef Plan Movement, with a purchasing arm as a key part of our organisation sees firsthand how rising production costs, driven by farm inputs and green policies, are pushing prices upward.
External shocks, like the war in Ukraine, sent fertiliser costs spiralling, at one point, prices skyrocketed by 300% in just 12 months.
Fuel and labour expenses have also climbed sharply.
But beyond these global factors, another major driver of inflation is the growing influence of the green agenda in Europe.
Over the past few years, environmental lobby groups have gained disproportionate power over government policy.
Their influence extends through well-funded NGOs that push for stricter regulations 鈥攎any of which increase costs for farmers without meaningful environmental benefits.
Measures like low-emission slurry spreading, reduced stocking rates, and rewilding farmland may sound progressive, but they shrink production and drive up food prices.
Until now, farmers have absorbed these added costs.
But with thousands exiting the industry, Ireland鈥檚 suckler herd alone has declined by more than 150,000 cattle in five years.
This is no longer sustainable.
If consumers don鈥檛 share the burden of these policies, there may soon be too few farmers left to feed the population.
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was established in 1962 with the dual objectives of boosting food production in Europe and maintaining fair prices for both consumers and producers.
However, in recent years, the rise of the green movement has shifted CAP鈥檚 focus 鈥 decoupling subsidies from food production and redirecting funds toward environmental initiatives.
This shift has accelerated significantly, with an increasing share of the budget now allocated to a complex system of fund administration.
The growing emphasis on bureaucratic processes and reducing production has had clear consequences: declining food output and upward pressure on food prices, contributing to inflation in the agricultural sector.
For decades, consumers have been shielded from the true cost of food production.
Many retailers have engaged in aggressive pricing strategies such as selling meat and dairy below cost to gain market share, pushing the financial burden onto farmers.
As a result, countless farming operations have relied on subsidies just to break even.
To put this into perspective: In 1980, households spent 28% of their income on food, by 2016 that figure had dropped to just 15%, despite overall inflation.
While recent food price hikes have made headlines, they are insignificant compared to the stagnant prices farmers have endured for the past 30 years.
Worse still, current emissions targets fail to account for the science of biogenic methane, which, due to its cyclical nature, does not contribute to additional warming when herd sizes remain stable.
Yet this fact is drowned out by activists who seem to prefer weeds over food production.
The Government鈥檚 so-called Just Transition policy exemplifies this disconnect.
Its goal is to 鈥渦pskill鈥 farmers and push them out of agriculture, as if food production requires no expertise.
In reality, farming demands a vast skillset: Veterinary knowledge, machinery repair, financial management, crop science, and adaptability to extreme weather.
On a planet facing climate instability, generational farming experience should be valued, not discarded.
As green policies tighten their grip on Europe, higher food prices will become the norm.
Rather than making farmers redundant, consumers and policymakers should recognise their vital role because without them, who will put food on our tables.
John Moloney
Vice chairman, Beef Plan Movement