Sir, – I appeal to the Government to start respecting the position of our young people in this Covid crisis.
Young people have willingly and compliantly made huge sacrifices for the past year. Their lives have been on hold. Our society, through our Government, now that we are close to vaccinating and protecting the most vulnerable, must take steps to ensure that this other vulnerable generation can live and socialise and develop into the adult people they are supposed to become.
Restore some normality for this generation. Make more nuanced rules in terms of what it is safe to do. Organise to let this generation play sport, work together as much as possible and meet outdoors in safe ways. Continue decent furlough payments for those who need them. Make it possible to live outside the family home with improved rent allowances. Reopen third level meaningfully and ensure that colleges are planning to provide in-person tuition of some type to students in the next academic year.
Our society will pay an unquantifiable price in terms of the future mental and socio-economic health of this generation if account is not taken. Their resilience is not boundless, and it varies enormously from person to person. Every parent knows this to be true. – Yours, etc,
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ELIZABETH AYLMER,
Clonskeagh,
Dublin 6.