Price gouging will not be tolerated

The upward price creep of goods and services is an insidious byproduct of Ireland’s retreat from the ghetto of economic depression.

An example close to home: my domestic waste collection service provider has increased its charges for 2019. In addition, changes downwards were made in bin waste weights and allowances, while excess charges were increased.

To avoid upsetting the sensibilities of its customers, it seems, these changes not displayed on the company’s website nor were customers notified via post or electronic means.

As customers supplying the raw material for waste companies to reuse and extract a profit from, a discussion point would be: should a waste collection service be at a nominal charge in exchange for the sorted clean raw material that is supplied?

In 2019 householders should adopt a New Year’s resolution based on asking every commercial entity supplying goods or services to their house to justify their charges. If the price does not fall within your budget, then switch your financial allegiance to a provider that does.

Ireland is an expensive country to exist and live in. As citizens we should cease blindly paying for goods or services that are overpriced.

Adopting a firm and polite approach to managing your financial outlays will let providers know that price gouging will not be tolerated.

John Tierney

Ashtown, Fews, Co Waterford

Thank you for your support for Oxfam in South Sudan

What will you remember most about 2018? For me, it will be a trip to South Sudan where I saw first hand the lifesaving impact of our work with people devastated by five years of civil war.

It would be easy to despair – the war continues to destroy lives and livelihoods, forcing more than four million people to flee their homes since it began in December 2013. In 2017 alone, more than one person fled South Sudan every minute, seeking safety in neighbouring countries.

But because of the generosity of Oxfam’s supporters, including many of your readers, we have reason to hope. With the help of our supporters, we are there providing lifesaving support, including essentials like clean water, sanitation and shelter.

We’re providing canoes to transport the sick and vulnerable through the treacherous swamps so that they can access much-needed aid and medical care. We’re also helping people to grow their own food and earn money through community gardens. In all we do, our protection teams work with girls and women to ensure their safety in a new and unfamiliar environment.

I want to take this opportunity to thank our supporters in Ireland and beyond. Together, we reached over 3.34 million people across eight countries in 2017/2018. We couldn’t have achieved this without your support through donating, volunteering and shopping in our shops and online. Thank you.

Through long-term development projects and emergency response, we’re helping people to build better lives for themselves and rebuild stronger when disaster strikes.

But our movement of people across Ireland is also helping to effect real change at home, too. We’re calling on the Government to make a modest change to our laws that would enable refugees in Ireland to be reunited with their dependent loved ones.

Right now, refugees living in Ireland remain separated from any children over 18, civil partners, siblings, parents, grandparents and guardians – which often adds to the trauma and despair they’ve already experienced.

Tens of thousands of our supporters have joined us in calling on the Government to support the Family Reunification Bill, see it pass all five stages in the Dáil and be enacted into law, allowing refugee families to be reunited with those that depend on them.

Because of our supporters, we have hope. Hope that we can continue to make huge strides in beating extreme poverty and see it eradicated for good by 2030. Hope that world leaders will come together to end the violence that is destroying the lives of millions of people in places like Yemen. Hope that we can live in a world where families have enough to eat, where every child can go to school and where women no longer experience violence and abuse.

A world where everyone experiences the equality, freedom, safety and dignity they deserve.

Thank you for helping to give hope to the millions of people affected by poverty and disaster this year. We look forward to doing more together in 2019.

Jim Clarken

chief executive, Oxfam Ireland