SOME OF THE biggest stories in last week’s news cycle reflected the looming crises we’re facing in Ireland.

Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) raised the alarm about our ageing population, flagging that by 2045, the number of people aged 85 and over will rise by 162%. Pleading for support from the government, NHI noted that nursing homes are presently at 95% capacity.

With nursing homes “effectively full” according to NHI chief executive Tadhg Daly, repercussions will be felt in the not-so-distant future. According to the Department of Health, there will be a million people over the age of 65 in Ireland by the end of this decade.

The NHI CEO noted that “Ageing is not a crisis; it is one of Ireland’s greatest achievements.” While this is absolutely true, the entire nation’s ability to reap the spoils of those achievements in decades to come has now been brought into question.

Separately, we have run into major issues with staffing Dublin’s Metrolink construction. Late last week, the National Transport Authority revealed that 8,000 people will be required to come onboard to build the 19-kilometre rail system.

The National Transport Authority’s CEO, Anne Shaw, flagged that among the 8,000 people needed across the lifespan of the project, the government will need bricklayers, heavy machine operators and tunnellers. To chip away........

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