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THE GLOBAL GREENING campaign this year may incorporate the blue and yellow colours of Ukraine, the Taoiseach has indicated.
Micheál Martin told the Dáil this afternoon the Government is looking at how the campaign that coincides with the St Patrick’s Day celebrations around the globe can be modified to include “Ukrainian theme” this year.
Independent Galway TD Sean Canney asked the Taoiseach to consider raising the Ukrainian flag alongside the Irish flag at all Irish embassies during St Patrick’s Day week, as well as including Ukraine in the Global Greening initiative.
Hundreds of iconic landmarks and sites in over 50 countries are set to go green next week to mark St Patrick’s Day, including the London Eye and famous waterways including Niagara Falls.
“The global greening programme, in partnership with Tourism Ireland, has has been enormous success over the years. We’re re examining that for St. Patrick’s Day in terms of how we can interweave this Ukrainian theme as well,” the Taoiseach told the Dáil.
“We have considered it in Government… We have evolved our tone and theme of St. Patrick’s day next week, from an overt focus on Ireland to a broader focus on the fact that Ireland is an active, engaged and fully committed member of the international community that stands by democracy, the rule of law and human rights.
“We will use St. Patrick’s Day, the week basically, to highlight our solidarity with Ukraine and the values that Ukrainian people are standing for,” he said.
The Taoiseach said the various speaking occasions, ministers and officials who travel abroad will highlight a situation in Ukraine and Ireland’s solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
“Members of government will represent Ireland in around 40 countries across the globe in Europe, in America and Asia, and we’ll use those occasions to reassert our unequivocal commitment to democracy and to the people of Ukraine,” he said.
“We’re looking at ways to recognise Ukraine and its people at official receptions that will be organised. No Russian or Belarusian representatives will be invited to any official St. Patrick’s Day events,” he confirmed.
“We think that the unique access that St. Patrick’s Day gives Ireland around the world, we can use that unique access as a platform to express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and to seek to strengthen the global coalition of support for Ukraine and its people.
“I think it’s appropriate that we do so as an active, engaged and fully committed member of the international community of free and democratic nations, and to reassert our solidarity with the people of Ukraine,” said Martin.
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Have they found a way to blame Sinn Féin yet?
@Niall Power: Only Monday yet
It’s not surprising Fine Gael, the party of the rich, want to increase house prices for first time buyers.
We allowed banks to self regulate then the taxpayer had to bail them out, we allowed the insurance industry to self-regulate then the taxpayer had to bail them out and we allowed the construction industry to self regulate and now the taxpayer has to bail them out. There was a cosy relationship between construction and recent governments but trust has been permanently damaged. Not just mica but fire safety. Corners cut everywhere and no one accountable. If it adds 4K to the cost of a new house to build it in a manner that means it won’t crack and crumble into the ground within ten years then that is a cost worth paying.
@Sean: how long have you had a house Sean?
@Sean: that 4k figure is an absolute myth, based on figures that nobody thought to check.
This will be a great excuse for FF to pull the rug out from under Lord Veradader before his coronation in December.
The builders will get the maximum price they can for a house. The price they get will be determined by supply and demand. So the builder or developer will be the ones paying for the levy. The suggestion that if you put a levy on concrete the builder will just add it on to the price of the house is just simplistic.
@Mick Hyland: In simple terms this is correct.
But if a developer has input costs that increase by say 1%. Then 99 houses get built instead of 100. So it’ll still affect supply.
@Paolo Fandango: Why would only 99 houses get built if the developer’s input costs increase by 1%? The developer is not operating with a fixed pot of money; as long as he’s making an attractive return on capital he will continue to build more houses.
@Mick Hyland: the 1% is being absorbed by the developer. Fixed pot or not, it’s still less net income which reduces the amount of assets they can build.
The 1% cost doesn’t just disappear
So this is to offset the cost of mica redress scheme (which I believe impacted over 7000 homes). Am I miss understanding something here, but why is the whole Country now being forced to pay and contribute to a concrete levy (which we know will be permanent)? I know they are raising funds to offset, but this seems the complete wrong way to do it! Building material costs are already excessive.
I’m simple terms this is correct.
But if a developer has input costs that increase by say 1%. Then 99 houses get built instead of 100. So it’ll still affect supply.
@Paolo Fandango: this was supposed to be a response to mick above.
have your say