The warning from Interpol that the incidence of recorded fraud in Europe surged by 70% in 2025 is alarming. Closer to home, research published last month said that social media platforms made €32m in revenue from scam ads targeting Irish consumers in one year alone. With the prevalence and sophistication of fraud about to get a whole lot worse, a layer of protection for the individual is urgently required. However, there is a language problem that we should be paying more attention to and that is the increasing harshness, aggression, and even violence that now characterise public discourse. Given the current pressures on housing, public services, and other infrastructure, the impulse might be to aim for lower population growth.

Source: Irish Examiner March 24, 2026 01:36 UTC