Paul Hopkins

The Fact OfThe Matter

PAUL HOPKINS PAUL HOPKINS When women are no longer defined by motherhood

Here’s a couple of salient facts: for the rst time in the history of humankind, globally, fertility is at its lowest, and there are arguments about how this will impact on climate change. Secondly, for the rst time in history, half the women in Ireland, England and Wales have not had a child by the time they have reached 30. And that can herald fertility issues.

I am old enough to remember when a woman in Ireland wed and had children she had to give up her job in any of the State bodies. My mother’s generation were de ned by having babies and looking after domestic chores. Back then, a woman who either did not marry or did not have a child was looked upon with a certain pity and talked about in hushed tones. en too, for women, there was the so-called biological clock. Not so much a desire for a child but an awareness that time could be running out. Many women then expressed guilt at not having felt ‘the longing’, as though an innate-seeming, visceral dose of baby fever was the norm and, in their absence of strong maternal feelings, they were deviating from it. e jury’s still out on whether the desire for parenthood is down to nature or nurture, that both biology and culture are likely to contribute. We are social animals, and social pressure can be enormous. ankfully, women today are no longer de ned by having or not having a child. Glass ceilings aside, women have come in to their own and are de ned by many things other than motherhood; by con dence, by individuality, by career, by social standing, by just being.

Women now have choice. In the Ireland of old, with church rule and no contraception, women had no choice; were, in e ect, automated baby machines. Or otherwise barren, and meaningless.

Women now have choice. ey can have motherhood and they can have a career. Or choose one or the other. at said, there’s a whole other day’s debate on the issues of childcare in Ireland for women who choose both motherhood and career. Trying now to juggle everything daily, alas, means women, or indeed men, can not have it all. e other week, the United Nations issued a ‘code red for humanity’ as leading climate scientists delivered their starkest warning yet about the deepening climate emergency. e Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report said global temperatures were likely to rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next two decades, exceeding a key target of the Paris Agreement.

Interestingly, scientists’ increasingly bleak outlook for the future of the planet is putting more and more people o having children, according to more than one survey.

Analysts at the US multinational Morgan Stanley said recently in a note to investors that the “movement to not have children owing to fears over climate change is growing and impacting fertility rates quicker than any preceding trend in the eld of fertility decline”.

To support their argument, they pointed to surveys, academic research and Google data that shows climate change is directly and indirectly accelerating the decline in fertility rates. A study of 18,000 couples in China last year showed that climate change, and pollution in particular, was associated with a 20% increased likelihood of infertility.

Here’s another thing. All those daft categories, from ‘career bitch’ to ‘tiger mother’ to ‘spinster’, can’t sum up the complexities of how the women in my life — and there are many — live their lives. Even today, despite all ‘gains’ achieved by women, some without children may well need to ‘heal’. Some don’t. Some with children feel as existentially lonely as those without. Children are no guarantee of care in old age, or even company. e feminism that respects individual choice, but seeks to improve the context in which these choices occur, is the one I see working.

My mother was only ve when her own mother died. When I was born, the eldest of three, my paternal grandmother took two buses to come and visit, as my father was away working down the country. My mother was so glad to have another woman to talk to about her new motherhood.

When my grandmother was leaving, my mother said: “Please don’t wait to be invited. Call any time you want.”

To which my grandmother replied: “Listen here, I raised eight. I not about to rear a ninth.”

And from that day until the old bat died 26 years later she never again darkened our doorstep.

‘Social pressure can be enormous... ”

€4.5m. 'bad' cars in Kilkenny alone

LEADING car history check company MotorCheck.ie has completed the rst major cross-border analysis of salvaged and written o vehicles imported into the Republic of Ireland from the UK. e company found 39,336 a ected vehicles that had been imported into Ireland. At today’s values, the market value of those a ected is €4,400,316 in Kilkenny alone and €318 Million across the country. Examples of Zombie cars were found currently for sale privately and on dealers’ forecourts with ‘All Clear’ histories. e research conducted by Motorcheck, as seen on RTÉ Primetime, represents a potentially serious safety concern and nancial liability. Motorists are warned about this issue and the risks associated with buying a used car in Ireland. Despite the introduction of new Brexit linked import charges, the number of vehicles imported from the UK to Ireland remains high. In 2021 more than 83,000 vehicles have been imported with a total of 457,000 coming across the water over the past four years. In an e ort to understand the prevalence of Zombie vehicles (those brought back to life but not correctly identi ed as insurance write o s or ex-salvage) amongst those being imported, MotorCheck embarked on the largest single cross border analysis of vehicles ever carried out between the Republic of Ireland and the UK. In so doing, the company cross referenced the VIN numbers for 1.9 million Irish vehicles with its UK Salvage database. Shane Teskey, co-founder of MotorCheck said: "As of today, we know that almost 40,000 Zombie cars have been imported into the Republic of Ireland – those brought back to life but not necessarily identi ed as insurance write o s or ex-salvage. is equates to €318m. leaving traders or their owners to foot the bill when the car’s true history is discovered. With used car prices rising in Ireland as much as 50%, it’s more important than ever that car dealers and private buyers are made aware of a vehicles hidden history before they pay well over the fair market value for a potentially dangerous exwrite o ."

Data analysts call to our graduates

Against a backdrop in which the skills required are in demand, here and across the globe, graduates from Kilkenny and beyond who have good numerical and statistical proficiency are being asked to consider taking further studies in the field of Data Analytics.

The suggestion comes from Hibernia College with its announcement of a one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Science in Business Data Analytics. Commencing next Autumn, it embraces the three fields of business analytics, technology and data science.

Accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland, students will be drawn principally from the fields of computer science, mathematics, statistics, engineering and technology, and from finance, accounting and business. Enterprise visit: from le Caroline Fogarty, CF Pharma; Minister Damien English, TD, Clare Hughes, CF Pharma and Sandra Moore, CF Pharma

PHOTO: Dylan Vaughan

How to get the job done

THE Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English TD, recently visited the Kilkenny Local Enterprise O ce (LEO) where he met with council o cials, members of the LEO team as well as some of their client companies. e Minister was greeted at County Hall by Councillor Fidelis Doherty, Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Fiona Deegan, Head of Enterprise and Deputy John Paul Phelan as well as other o cials and was briefed about developments in the county as well as future plans.

Minister English then heard from the Kilkenny Local Enterprise O ce team, members of the Evaluation Committee and Local Authority Members.

Minister English said: “ ere is certainly a lot of activity here in Kilkenny and it is great to hear about the work of the Council and the Local Enterprise O ce and their exciting future plans. e support of the LEOs has been vital for many local businesses all over the country, providing training, mentoring and other practical assistance. "With our new Regional Enterprise Plans now in place the role of the LEO network will be even more important and their support will help to drive growth and job creation across the country.”

Minister English then met with some of the LEO client companies. Red Robin Events Ltd were established just last year and o er niche focused logistics and design service solutions. Loanitt started their journey with the Kilkenny LEO just three years ago and are now the largest nancial intermediary in Ireland and a High Potential StartUp Client with Enterprise Ireland.

Nirvana Lighting sells its own range of brand designed and manufactured, unique lighting products. CDS Metal Products design, manufacture and install bespoke feature metalwork products. CF Pharma, manufactures a range of novel speci c Health Food Supplements, Medical Device Formulations and Advanced Topical Dermatological Solutions for human and animal healthcare.

Minister English then travelled on to the Abbey Quarter where he met with Tony Lauho , Senior Project Engineer, who outlined the future development plans for the site. e Minister’s next port of call was Cakeface, a LEO client company owned by Rory Gannon. e business operates a café, cookery school and roastery. Minister English also met with Kay Lyng of KKajoux Jewels, a LEO client and Irish owned handmade jewellery company who design and create their own pieces. Miriam Cushen of Cushendale, also a LEO client company, explained how the company designs and creates a signature range of lambswool and mohair products from natural “ecru” yarns. e Minister concluded his visit to Kilkenny at Mileeven Fine Foods, one of Ireland’s leading honey companies. is LEO client has won many awards including Great Taste Awards, Irish Food Awards, Blas Na Eireann and Gulfood Awards.

€200,000 funding for local community groups

THE national electricity grid operator, EirGrid, has awarded more than €200,000 to community groups and notfor-pro t organisations in Kilkenny and neighbouting Laois.

A total of €204,600 funding has been allocated to the Laois-Kilkenny Reinforcement Project. It is the rst of three phases of funding available in the areas adjacent to the project, of a total fund of €511,500. e Laois-Kilkenny Community Bene t Fund was established by EirGrid to recognise the important part local communities play in the development of the electricity grid, the impact works can have on communities and to ensure the money bene ts groups and projects in these areas.

Groups and not-for-pro t organisations in communities within three kilometres to the line were given priority in the allocation of funding by an independent fund administrator. ese included groups from Ballyragget and Ballyouskill in Kilkenny and Spink, Ballyroan and Ballinakill in Laois.

EirGrid’s Chief Infrastructure O cer Michael Mahon said: “We were delighted with the positive response from communities and would like to thank each group and organisation who took the time to submit a funding application. We would also like to thank the Laois Kilkenny Community Forum members who worked with EirGrid and the independent fund administrator in establishing and opening the fund.”