Every spring, Ireland is encouraged to embrace “No Mow May”, the growing environmental campaign that asks homeowners, schools and local authorities to leave grass uncut in support of bees, pollinators and biodiversity. Wildflowers bloom, insects return and urban spaces become noticeably greener.
At the very same time, however, the HSE is issuing renewed warnings about Lyme disease and the dangers posed by ticks hiding in long grass. This has created an increasingly important conversation; how do we balance environmental goals with public health concerns?
Blood Sucking Tick Insect
Why the HSE Is Raising Concern. According to the HSE and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, ticks are active from spring through autumn and are commonly found in grassy, damp and shaded environments. They are present in both rural and urban Ireland and become more active during the warmer months. The concern is not simply the tick bite itself, but the possibility of Lyme disease, an infection transmitted through infected ticks. The HSE says “several hundred” cases of milder Lyme disease likely occur annually in Ireland, while more serious neurological forms are reported in smaller numbers each year. Health officials are particularly advising people to take care in areas of long vegetation. HSE guidance specifically recommends that walkers “keep to footpaths and avoid long grass” where possible.
The Environmental Argument for No Mow May. Supporters of No Mow May argue that Ireland’s obsession with closely trimmed lawns has come at a cost to biodiversity. Allowing grass to grow naturally for even a few weeks provides habitat and food sources for bees, butterflies and pollinating insects, whose populations have been under pressure for years. Longer grass also improves soil quality, supports carbon capture and creates more resilient urban ecosystems. In many areas, wildflower meadows have become symbols of climate awareness and environmental responsibility. For environmental groups, reducing mowing is not about neglect. It is about rethinking how public and private green spaces are managed.
Where the Two Issues Collide. The difficulty is that ticks thrive in many of the same environments promoted by rewilding initiatives. Long grass, woodland edges, scrub areas and damp vegetation provide ideal habitats for ticks waiting to attach themselves to animals or humans passing by. That does not mean every unmown lawn becomes dangerous, nor does it mean biodiversity projects should end. But public health experts increasingly believe unmanaged growth in heavily used public areas can unintentionally increase exposure risks. This debate is becoming more relevant as warmer temperatures and milder winters appear to be extending tick activity in Ireland. Climate-related research and reporting suggest tick populations may continue expanding in the years ahead.
A More Balanced Approach. What is emerging now is a more balanced idea of “managed rewilding”. Rather than leaving all spaces untouched, many experts favour maintaining cut pathways through parks and meadow areas, trimming grass around playgrounds and seating areas, and placing public information signs in higher-risk locations. The message from public health officials is not to avoid nature, but to become more “tick aware”, while enjoying it. Simple precautions remain highly effective. Wearing long trousers, using insect repellent containing DEET, checking skin and clothing after walks, especially young children, and removing ticks quickly from skin surfaces, all which significantly reduce risk.
The Bigger Conversation. The debate around ‘No Mow May’ reflects a wider challenge modern societies now face. Environmental policies and public health policies can sometimes overlap in unexpected ways. Creating greener spaces is important. So is protecting people using those spaces. The answer is unlikely to be found in extremes, neither cutting every patch of grass short nor abandoning management altogether. Instead, the future probably lies in smarter landscape design that supports biodiversity while still recognising genuine health risks.
Ireland’s growing awareness of Lyme disease may ultimately push councils, communities and homeowners toward a more thoughtful approach to rewilding, one where nature is encouraged, but not left entirely unmanaged.
Here In Thurles we keep street lights on for 24 hours each day, but after all Thurles is considered the Dubai of the Midlands. At the price of electricity in Ireland, the collective lamp posts in Liberty Square are now basically a single chandelier. Sure with lights blazing morning, noon and night, tourists, the few we attract, must think Thurles has struck oil sucked from the numerous existing potholes. Maybe the council just wants to prove Tipperary is rolling in money: “Can’t fix the roads lads, but by God you’ll be able to see every crack in them at 10:00am mid-morning.”
Seriously; all joking aside, Irish households are once again being hammered by some of the highest electricity costs in the European Union and ordinary families are right to ask: what exactly are we getting in return?
According to new figures from Eurostat, Ireland now has the highest household electricity prices in the EU, with consumers paying a staggering 40.42 cent per kilowatt-hour. That is almost 40% above the EU average of 28.96 cent. The average Irish household is now paying roughly €480 more per year than other families across Europe.
Government ministers and energy industry insiders continue to offer excuses, blaming geography, housing patterns, population growth, and even the war in Ukraine. But after years of soaring bills, the public deserves more than excuses. It deserves accountability.
Yes, Ireland is a relatively small island with a dispersed rural population. Yes, our electricity grid needs investment. But many of these issues have been known for decades. Instead of planning ahead, successive governments failed to build an energy system capable of supporting modern demand.
The result? Irish consumers are paying the price for years of poor infrastructure planning and political indecision.
One of the biggest failures has been Ireland’s overreliance on gas. More than 40% of our electricity is still generated using gas, leaving the country dangerously exposed to international price shocks. When gas prices surged following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Irish consumers were left uniquely vulnerable. Countries that invested heavily in nuclear, hydro, or long-term renewable infrastructure now enjoy far lower electricity costs. Ireland, meanwhile, continues to depend on expensive fossil fuels while talking endlessly about future green ambitions.
Even more frustrating is the pressure placed on the grid by the rapid expansion of energy-hungry data centres. While multinational tech companies benefit from Ireland’s favourable tax environment, ordinary households are left footing the bill for the extra strain on infrastructure. Families struggling to heat their homes should not be subsidising the energy demands of billion-dollar corporations.
Then there is the issue of interconnection. Ireland remains poorly connected to European electricity markets, with only limited links to the UK. A new interconnector with France is not expected until 2028. For years, experts warned that Ireland’s isolation would leave consumers exposed to higher prices, and once again, those warnings were ignored.
Meanwhile, energy companies continue to post strong profits while customers face relentless price hikes. The promises of “temporary increases” have become permanent reality. Even after multiple government energy credits and VAT reductions, Irish electricity remains among the most expensive in Europe.
The real scandal is not just the cost itself; it is the normalisation of these costs. Irish consumers are constantly told high prices are unavoidable, yet many other European countries manage to provide cheaper, more stable energy. Hungary, Malta, and Bulgaria all have dramatically lower household electricity costs.
At some point, the conversation must move beyond explanations and toward solutions. Ireland needs serious long-term investment in renewable generation, stronger energy security, faster grid upgrades, and far greater scrutiny of how energy policy impacts ordinary citizens.
Because right now, Irish households are not simply paying more for electricity; they are paying the price for years of failed energy policy.
The Irish Government has introduced a new suite of multimedia materials, including engaging videos, to help children better understand family justice processes in a clear and age-appropriate way. These resources are specifically designed for children aged 8 to 12 who may be going through family changes such as separation or divorce, or whose parents are involved in family court proceedings.
This initiative forms part of the broader reform of Ireland’s family justice system under the Family Justice Strategy 2022–2025. The strategy aims to reshape the system so that it places a stronger emphasis on the needs, rights, and voices of children, recognising their central role in many family law matters.
The newly launched video series is available online via a dedicated government webpage and can also be accessed through the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration’s YouTube channel. The project received financial support from the Dormant Accounts Fund and aligns with the strategy’s priority of “Supporting Children.”
A key objective of the strategy is to ensure children have access to clear, understandable information about family justice processes. This includes helping them grasp how decisions are made, how those decisions may affect them, and how their own views can be heard and considered.
To achieve this, the Government reviewed existing information available to young people and identified ways to improve how such information is delivered. The result is a series of child-friendly materials that explain legal processes and outcomes in a way that is accessible and appropriate for younger audiences.
The development of these resources involved collaboration with government agencies, NGOs, service providers, and relevant departments, including education and children’s services. Importantly, the content was also shaped by direct consultation with children who have experienced family separation, ensuring the materials reflect their perspectives and needs.
A Rich Country Begging for €8: What SVP’s TV Appeal Reveals About Ireland’s Broken Model.
There is something profoundly uncomfortable about watching an advert from Society of St. Vincent de Paul on Irish television, asking for just €8 a month to help Irish children. Not because the request is unreasonable, but because it is necessary in the first place. In Ireland, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, a charity is asking ordinary people to fund basic childhood needs. That should stop and sicken us in our tracks.
The Quiet Power of SVP For generations, SVP has been one of Ireland’s most trusted safety nets, quietly visiting homes, paying bills, buying food, and restoring dignity where the system on our Island falls short. Their work is not theoretical; it is immediate and it is human. Now, for the first time, they have launched a major TV campaign focused on Irish child poverty. It is not subtle. It is not abstract. It is a direct appeal to the public to act. The message is simple: “Give €8 a month to stop poverty hurting children”. The campaign highlights a stark truth, over one in five children in Ireland experiences deprivation, the highest of any age group and that statistic alone should be politically explosive. Instead, it has become normalised.
The Reality Behind the Advert. SVP’s appeal is not about charity, it is about failure elsewhere. Their own research shows, that child poverty has surged dramatically, rising from 4.8% to 8.5% in just a single year. Income supports for older children meet only 64% of actual needs. The cost of a basic standard of living has risen by 18.8% since 2020. This is not marginal hardship. It is systemic.
Children are hungry. Homes are cold. Parents are cutting essentials so their children can eat. These are not isolated cases, they are widespread enough to justify a national TV campaign.
Let’s Be Blunt: This Is a Political Failure, there is no polite way to say this.
This situation did not arise by accident. It is the result of policy choices made repeatedly over decades. Successive governments, led primarily by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and by those who supported them namely Labour, The Greens, Lowry’s Independants; latter who chose:- • To rely on the private market to deliver housing. • To underinvest in social housing for years. • To allow essential costs (rent, childcare, energy) to spiral. • To patch over problems with temporary payments rather than structural reform.
Even now, Budget 2026 offers increases, but they fall short of what families actually need. That is not an accident. That is a choice.
The Core Problem: Ireland Is Expensive, Not Poor. Ireland does not have a ‘lack-of-money’ problem. It has a ‘cost-of-living’ problem. The state redistributes income reasonably well, but it does almost nothing to control the cost of essentials: •Housing is among the most expensive in Europe. • Energy costs remain elevated. • Childcare is prohibitively expensive. • Everyday goods have risen sharply.
So what happens? The government gives with one hand, and the market takes with the other. The result is predictable, families fall short. Perhaps the most disturbing shift is this, people who are working; sometimes full-time, are now turning to SVP. This is not traditional poverty. This is a system malfunction. When employment no longer guarantees a basic standard of living, something fundamental has broken.
Charity is becoming structural as SVP handled hundreds of thousands of requests for help in recent years. That is not emergency support anymore, that is parallel welfare. Let’s be honest about what this means; the Irish system is now quietly outsourcing part of its social responsibility to charities, and charities, no matter how good, cannot replace the State.
Where We Should Be Heading Ireland does not need minor tweaks. It needs a shift in direction. Housing must be treated as infrastructure. The state must build at scale, tens of thousands of homes annually; not rely on private developers to solve a public crisis. Reduce costs, not just increase payments. Throwing money at people, while leaving rents and childcare untouched is futile. Costs must come down. Benchmark Social Welfare to Reality. Supports should be tied to the actual cost of living, not political compromise. Invest in Children Directly. Free school meals throughout, reduced education costs, and meaningful child supports should be universal.
The Political Courage Question. None of this is impossible but it does requires confronting uncomfortable truths: •Property values may stabilise or fall. •Investors may lose out. •Government spending must increase. That is the trade-off and for years, Irish politics has chosen to avoid it.
Final Thought: What the €8 Really Means. The €8 in that SVP advert is not just a donation. It is a signal. It tells us that:– The system is not working. The gap between wealth and lived reality is widening and ordinary people are being asked to bridge that gap themselves.
SVP deserves enormous respect. Their work is compassionate, effective, and essential, but they should not have to do this at scale in a country like Ireland. When a wealthy nation relies on charity to meet children’s basic needs, the problem is not charity, it is policyand until that changes, the adverts will keep coming.
Pre-deceased by her husband Bill and great grandson Jack; Mrs Carroll passed away peacefully, while in the care of staff at Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel, South Co. Tipperary.
Her passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her sorrowing family; loving daughter Anna (Whitfield), son-in-law Nigel, grandchildren Emma and Liam, great grandchildren James, Reuban and Pippa, extended relatives, neighbours and friends.
For those persons who would wish to attend Requiem Mass for Mrs Carroll, but for reasons cannot, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.
The extended Carroll family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
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