May 2024 News
Politics
1. Ireland officially recognized statehood of Palestine
On May 22, 2024, Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Minister Eamon Ryan, the leaders of the coalition government, announced that Ireland would recognize the State of Palestine as of May 28 and establish full diplomatic relations with Palestine.
Simon Harris states that the goal is to give hope to the Palestinian people and facilitate the resolution of conflict between the two countries. He also expects that other countries could follow Ireland in recognizing Palestine.
Micheál Martin notes that it is a historic moment for Ireland to recognize the statehood of Palestine. Peace in the Middle East could only be achieved if both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples enjoyed the same right to self-determination, statehood, peace and dignity. Recognition of Palestine is not an end, but a beginning — Ireland would continue to provide humanitarian aids for Gaza. All three leaders have been extremely vocal in stating that recognizing Palestinian statehood is in no way the same as supporting Hamas. Minister Eamon Ryan said that violence against innocent civilians to achieve political goals should never succeed, and that Ireland’s recognition of Palestine is the result of the vote by 143 countries to agree to its membership of the United Nations.
2. Simon Harris made his first visit to Northern Ireland as Taoiseach
On May 3, 2024, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris made his first visit to Northern Ireland, where he held talks with the First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Emma Little-Pengelly. Harris expressed his confidence in the restoration of Northern Ireland's power-sharing institutions and emphasized that both sides should cooperate based on mutual respect. He also visited the Northern Ireland parliament buildings to review projects funded by the Irish government. This visit has injected new momentum into the cooperation between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
3. Ireland tightening its migration policies
Over the next three months, welfare for some Ukrainian refugees will be cut, with the weekly allowance dropping from €232 to €38.80. The scheme, which targets refugees staying in state-provided serviced accommodation such as hotels, is expected to affect 27,000 Ukrainian refugees.
In addition, Gardaí have been carrying out checks at the Northern Ireland border since May 20 to deport illegal immigrants back to the UK after the High Court of Northern Ireland ruled that some of the the Illegal Migration Act should be disapplied in Northern Ireland. Taoiseach Harris explained that Ireland would always meet its international obligations and remain consistent with the EU on refugee policy. A fair and regulated welfare system is essential and the Irish Government is moving from an “emergency approach” to a more sustainable model of migration.
Economics
1. Huawei makes €800m economic contribution to Ireland
According to a recent report by Deloitte, Chinese technology giant Huawei has contributed €800 million to the Irish economy. This report provides a detailed analysis of Huawei's economic impact in Ireland since 2019. The report highlights that by the end of 2023, Huawei had created over 1200 jobs in Ireland, spanning various fields from research and development to sales. Additionally, Huawei has significantly contributed to Ireland's digital transformation through various investments and projects, particularly in the areas of 5G networks and cloud computing.
The CEO of Huawei Ireland stated that the company will continue to expand its operations in Ireland and is committed to further investing in local technology and talent development. This initiative not only helps to elevate Ireland's technological capabilities but also brings considerable economic benefits to the local economy.
The report emphasizes that Huawei's role in Ireland extends beyond the business sector, actively participating in social welfare and educational projects, thus promoting the dissemination of technological knowledge and community development.
2. Irish Government Launches National Economic Dialogue 2024
In May 2024, the Irish government officially launched the National Economic Dialogue (NED) 2024. This dialogue aims to gather diverse perspectives to help shape the 2025 budget and address Ireland's current and future economic and social challenges.
During the dialogue, representatives discussed several key issues, including building a more resilient public finance system, improving the quality of public services, addressing climate change, promoting the green transition, and managing emergencies in the agri-food sector. The government emphasized the importance of these topics against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty and expressed its commitment to broad social cooperation to ensure the country's continued economic stability and growth. The National Economic Dialogue serves not only as a critical reference for government decision-making but also as a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to express their opinions and suggestions, contributing to a more transparent and efficient policy-making process.
Society
1. Trinity College Dublin Students Held a Pro-Palestinian Protest
Students at Trinity College Dublin held a protest supporting Palestine, demanding the school divest from all Israeli companies operating in the occupied Palestinian territories. During the protest, the campus was closed, preventing tourists from viewing the Book of Kells, resulting in an estimated €350,000 loss. On May 10, the protest achieved a milestone as the university pledged to cut ties with Israeli companies, prompting students to end their five-day encampment. The protest did not face forced removal, and the administration agreed to fully fund six graduate and two undergraduate students from Gaza, and to reassess student exchange programs with Israel.
On May 22, Ireland, Spain, and Norway recognized the statehood of Palestine.
2. Funding of €500,000 to provide free period products for students
On May 8th, Minister Patrick O'Donovan announced €500,000 in funding to provide free period products for students. €250,000 will go to Education and Training Boards (ETBs), and €250,000 to publicly-funded Higher Education Institutions. The Department's previous 'Worryfree' pilot provided free products and dispensers to nine education and training colleges across six ETBs. This funding builds on past efforts to address period poverty and ensure no students are disadvantaged due to lack of access to menstrual products.
Culture
1. Ireland Celebrates Bealtaine Fire Festival
The Bealtaine Fire Festival is a Celtic traditional festival in Ireland, which is rich in cultural significance. This year, this grand festival took place on the Hill of Uisneach, attracting approximately 5,000 local participants. As an ancient Celtic festival, the Bealtaine Fire Festival carries profound spiritual and mythological meanings in local culture.
According to ancient Celtic traditions, May is the month when fairies and spirits are active in the mortal realm. People conduct rituals and light bonfires to pray for the return of the spirits and blessings for a fruitful harvest. During the festival, participants enjoy music, culinary delights, yoga, craftsmanship, and various forms of entertainment, welcoming the arrival of summer together.
2. Mircea Cărtărescu wins 2024 Dublin Literary Prize
Romanian author Mircea Cărtărescu and translator Sean Cotter have been announced as winner of the 2024 Dublin Literary Award on May 23, for the novel Solenoid. Based on Cărtărescu's own experience and the reality of late 1970s/early 1980s Communist Romania, Solenoid begins with the mundane details of a high school teacher’s life and quickly spirals into a philosophical account of life, history, philosophy, and mathematics.
Presented annually by Dublin City Council, this Award is one of the most famous literature prizes globally and unique in that the books are nominated by libraries from cities around the world.
Ireland and China
1. China Extends Visa-Free Policy for Ireland and 11 Other Countries
To further promote international exchanges, China has decided to extend its visa-free policy for citizens of Ireland, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg until December 31, 2025, at 24:00. Nationals holding ordinary passports from these countries can enter China without a visa for up to 15 days for business, tourism, family visits, and transits. Ambassador of Ireland to the People's Republic of China Ann Derwin stated that China's extension of the visa-free treatment for Ireland until the end of 2025 is a very positive policy: "We look forward to seeing more Irish people visiting China and hope to see more Chinese people traveling to Ireland."
2. The “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Language Competition Held at University of Galway
On May 11th, The “Chinese Bridge” Chinese language competition and talent show for world students was held at the Confucius Institute of Chinese and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Galway. Ten young contestants from across Ireland participated in the competition, with over 60 parents and teachers attending to support them. During the contest, which included Chinese speeches, quizzes on Chinese language and culture, and talent showcases, the contestants demonstrated their strong comprehension and expression abilities in Chinese. Through performances such as singing Chinese songs, dragon dancing, ink painting, and traditional kung fu, they expressed their deep interest and love for Chinese traditional culture.
Gaeilge
1. Revival of the Irish Language Faces Multiple Obstacles
Irish language planning officials and language advocates from various sectors of society have expressed that the revitalization of the Irish language still faces significant challenges. These challenges include:
(1) Unclear roles for language planning officials, who often have to take on multiple roles such as manager, accountant, marketer, spokesperson, and linguist without any official documentation specifying the obligations of national or regional organizations to collaborate with language planning departments;
(2) Insufficient investment by the government in Gaeltacht, resulting in a lack of publicly operated service institutions within these areas; limited salaries and overwhelming workload leading to frequent turnover among language officials and immense pressure on both current officials and volunteers;
(3) Outdated boundaries of Gaeltacht which disregard the development and communication needs of the communities, thereby seriously hindering the implementation of language plan;
(4) Absence of Irish secondary education in places like Dublin where children graduating from Irish primary schools are forced to transfer to English secondary schools. It is evident that this predicament has caused many parents to give up on raising children in Irish from an early stage, resulting in a significant decline in enrollment within the Irish-language education system.
