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2020 Home Schooling President Higgins Calls On

28th, Applications Soar Ireland To ‘Lead By Example’

October By 500% On Climate Change

President Michael D Higgins has
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called on the Irish State to “lead by
EXAMINER change.
example” in the battle against climate
Mr Higgins said the State would be
obliged to play a leading role if it is to
IRISH have any hope of bringing citizens “on
the difficult journey to a decarbonized
future”.
The president also called on individ-
ual citizens to play their part, urging
them to use electric cars and become
less dependent on fossil fuels.
Mr Higgins made the comments
last Wednesday during his keynote address to the Engineers Ireland Conference.
He told the conference that climate change is the “most pressing existential crisis facing us all as a
global community”.
here has been a 500 “We have felt so aban-
per cent increase in doned and so stressed by He added: “The Irish State must lead by example if it is to have any credibility, any realistic hope of
Tthe number of par- this situation,” Jan Rynne bringing its citizens with it on the difficult journey to a decarbonized future.”
ents wishing to home said. He added that the public has a “moral obligation” to play their part in the transition to a low-carbon
school their children in “The HSE advice to peo- economy.
August and September, ple like me who are consid- He said: “All of us, individuals, communities and professions alike, are asked to take ownership of
compared to the same ered very high risk is that the commitment to tackle climate change if we are to succeed in our low-carbon transition for our
time last year. we take personal precau- economy and our society.
Much of the rise is asso- tions and responsibility and “This is not optional. We, all of us as citizens, have a moral obligation to play our part in this great
ciated with families reluc- that’s exactly what we’re societal challenge.
tant to send their children trying to do. “We in Ireland need to continue to insulate our energy-inefficient buildings, upgrade our heating
back to school amid Covid- “I’m trying to protect my systems to renewable sources such as heat pumps, switch to electric vehicles, build more public trans-
19 concerns, often as they own life, my children’s lives port, and, overall, ween ourselves off our fossil fuel-dependent lifestyles.
have a member with an and I’m not being support- “We also need to put in place the critical infrastructure that will enable the country to adapt and be
underlying condition who ed in it, and in fact my kids resilient to climate change that is already occurring.”
is considered at increased and other kids like them are Mr Higgins also used the conference to call for a paradigm shift in economic policies, that incorpo-
risk from the virus. slipping through the educa- rates the “radicalism” of climate action.
Official guidance says tional cracks.” He added: “We cannot continue with the mere placing of a green lens on economic policies… poli-
that only children at “very New figures from child cies that have failed manifestly and are continuing to cause damaging ecological impacts.
high risk” are entitled to and family agency Tusla “We should never underestimate the strength of the resources and the influence of those who will
remote learning, with all show over a thousand fami- oppose a paradigm shift, such as that of which I speak, to what is sustainable in all its forms, redistrib-
other students expected to lies have made applications utive, more inclusive, empathetic, humane.”
return to school. to be placed on the official The president said that without immediate action, this generation would have to shoulder the
One mother from home schooling register blame for the destruction brought by climate change.
Dublin has made the deci- between August and He said: “The time to act is now. The longer we wait, the more we intensify and perpetuate the
sion to home school her September. injustice of climate change, and we run the risk of correctly being regarded by future survivors of our
two children, as she is Tusla says the increase planet as having been in collusion with the destruction of the lives and life-worlds of some of the most
classed as very high risk maybe due to a number of vulnerable peoples of our human family and the biodiversity on which our planetary life depends.” C
with Covid-19 due to her factors, including health Almost 250,000 Receiving Pandemic Unemployment Payments In Ireland
diagnosis with a form of concern surrounding the
blood cancer. virus. C People who organize house par-
ties in breach of Covid-19 regulations
British Applications For Irish Passports could face fines of up to €2,500 after
Up 42% In Last Year new legislation came into force last
The number of British citizens who applied for an Irish weekend. The legislation passed by
passport for the first time increased by 42 per cent last year. the Dáil on Friday evening gives
The increase continues a trend seen since the Brexit refer- powers to gardai to issue fines to peo-
endum in June 2016 which saw the UK vote to leave its mem- ple in breach of the lockdown regula-
bership of the European Union. tions. The public face fines of up to
In 2015, 3,644 people who were born in Britain applied for €500 for breaching the 5km travel
an Irish passport for the first time. limit introduced as part of lockdown
In 2016, there were nearly 13,500 applications, rising to measures.
almost 25,000 in 2017 and over 30,000 in 2018. Those who host house parties or
Last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that over gatherings could be fined up to €1,000 at the first instance.
43,000 British people applied for an Irish passport for the first Second and third offenders can face imprisonment and fines of up to €2,500.
time. The legislation underpinning the use of fines for breaches of restrictions was passed in the Dail and
This year the processing of applications has been affected by
the Covid-19 pandemic but by the end of last month, 22,197 the Seanad on Friday.
people born in Britain had applied for an Irish passport for the The law in relation to house parties came into effect last weekend, but the fixed penalty notices
first time in 2020. C will be introduced in the coming week. C