The Irish Times - Letters

Palestinian access to water

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:18:09 GMT

Madam, – The Israeli ambassador (November 4th) claims that the Palestinians refused a generous Israeli offer at Camp David and Taba.

Redress for Magdalene laundry inmates

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:18:09 GMT

Madam, – The Department of Justice’s meeting with survivors of the Magdalene laundries represents a positive first step in the right direction (Home News, November, 5th).

Cutting expenses

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:18:09 GMT

Madam, – Why don’t our Government Ministers – as a matter of course – stay in Irish Embassies and use embassy transport, when visiting capital cities around the world? Surely this would eliminate the need for the expense of staying in five-star hotels and hiring limos? – Yours, etc,

Quotas for female politicians

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:18:09 GMT

Madam, – I refer to the article regarding Senator Ivana Bacik’s report on candidate quota legislation to bring more women into Irish politics (Home News, November 5th).

Shopping in Dublin city

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:18:09 GMT

Madam, – Regarding Kate Holmquist’s reference to “extortionate” prices for car parking in the city centre (Features, November 3rd), I beg to differ.

Community projects under threat?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:18:09 GMT

Madam, – I wish to respond to Thomas Erbsloh’s letter (November 5th) regarding the Government’s two main social inclusion and community development programmes – the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP) and the Community Development Programme (CDP).

Swine flu vaccinations

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:18:09 GMT

Madam, – Two weeks ago, having rung my GP to inquire about getting the swine flu vaccine for my 18-month-old son with cystic fibrosis (CF), I was faced with the news we would have to attend one of the HSE clinics.

Keeping within the speed limit

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:18:09 GMT

Madam, – John Mullen (November 6th) criticised Sarah Carey (Opinion, November 4th) for her “self-righteous adherence to the speed limit” and failing to let “faster” motorists go by.

Cutting the number of TDs

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:18:09 GMT

Madam, – Well done to John McGrath in expressing his concern that politicians share the pain of the economic mess (November 4th), which has been created primarily by the politicians failing to properly regulate the banks.

New-age newspaper reader

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:07:33 GMT

Madam, – Good for Aidan Murphy (November 4th) and other readers who get The Irish Times via Kindle. However, I wonder what will become of those traditional uses for newspapers: lining the budgie’s cage and the cat’s litter tray, making a paper hat to wear when painting the ceiling and putting under the lino to be discovered (and laughed at) in years to come? Indeed the device, in spite of its name, wouldn’t even be much help in lighting the fire. – Yours, etc,

Casting light on Cumann na mBan

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:32:36 GMT

Madam, – I am a young historian doing a research project at the University of Vienna titled “Cumann na mBan in the Provisional Republican Movement 1969-1986”.

Long night for 'urine warders'?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:32:35 GMT

Madam, – In order to deter or apprehend people who might feel the urge to indulge in the disgusting habit of urinating in public, would the proposed “urine warders” in Ennis (Home News, November 5th) be obliged to patrol the streets of the town from midnight into the wee hours of the morning? – Yours, etc,

Rezoning plan at Fernhill

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:32:35 GMT

Madam, – I wish to refer to an inaccuracy in the article “Rezoning Plan for Heritage Garden” (Home News, November 5th). For the record, there is no proposal to rezone any part of Fernhill Gardens for housing.

Men-only ruling for golf club

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:32:35 GMT

Madam, – How much taxpayers’ money has the Equality Authority spent fighting the Portmarnock case? And how much has it spent trying to give men access to all-women associations? Shouldn’t the word “equality” stand for something? – Yours, etc,

Immigrant myths

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:32:35 GMT

Madam, – William Reville’s smashing of the myth that immigrants get preferential treatment from our welfare system is indeed welcome (Science Today, November 5th). He is also right to point out that those seeking asylum in Ireland, people who are not permitted to work, are housed in special hostels and get a small weekly allowance to cover their needs. The amount in question is even less than reported. It is €19.10 per week, a sum that has not increased since it was set in 2000. – Yours, etc,

Whether or not to wear a poppy

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:32:35 GMT

Madam, – Your correspondents who have sought a peace symbol poppy, or referred to white poppies in the 1930s, can be advised that white poppies are readily available in Britain (produced by the Peace Pledge Union) but alas, there is no current distributor in Ireland.

Retired teachers' role as substitutes

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:32:35 GMT

Madam, – I strongly object to retired teachers being demonised in the media recently because, in the past they provided substitute cover for absent teachers and in some cases may continue to do so.

Leaving Ireland's 'bankrupt' shores

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:32:35 GMT

Madam, – I wasn’t overly privileged, yet through luck and hard work I have third-level qualifications. I would like to stay in the country of my birth. I would like a job. I am trying damn hard to get one. And I fully empathise with those of my peers who have expressed their disillusionment with the mismanagement of this country that has resulted in so many of us being left in the lurch, and most especially with those who are obliged to emigrate because of this cold reality; after all, I may yet be joining them.

Quotas for female politicians

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:32:35 GMT

Madam, – Senator Ivana Bacik proposes that political parties should be obliged to “impose a maximum limit on the proportion of candidates of any one gender selected to run in elections at local, national and European levels” in order to end the “masculine image of politics” (Home News and Breaking News, November 5th). A cursory analysis of the 2007 general election shows that any such imposition would be a gross distortion of the electoral process.

Controversy over Nama

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:24:44 GMT

Madam, – Nama is not an assets management agency. Nama is a loans recoveries and realisations agency. That work is tough, difficult and challenging.

SPV or SVP?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:42 GMT

Madam, – Perhaps we could sneak a small typo into the Nama legislation and have our €54 billion sent to the SVP? – Yours, etc,

Pay for provost and US president

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:42 GMT

Madam, – It has come to my attention that the Provost of Trinity College, Dr John Hegarty, is due to receive a pay rise of 19 per cent. His salary would then be €270,000. This rise will apparently put him on the same pay as that of President Barack Obama, leader of the free world.

'Brown Sugar on Jimi Hendrix'

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:42 GMT

Madam, – Your reviewer of Brown Sugar on Jimi Hendrix, said, “If I follow Marsha Hunt correctly (and I’m not at all sure that I do) then her ramshackle show about Jimi Hendrix and 1960s America portrays the singer and guitarist as a marvel of easy racial integration, who nevertheless struggled within a bitter culture of racism, which the iconic Hunt (aka Brown Sugar) contends is ultimately all about sexual anxiety, in which fear of miscegenation renders all black men violent threats, which Jimi certainly was, apart from his gentleness, and this may somehow explain that his fatal drug overdose was in fact a conspiracy of either the Black Panthers, the record industry or both.”

For whom the roads toll?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:42 GMT

Madam, – Considering the country is experiencing a period of sustained deflation, can we hard-pressed drivers now expect a reduction in toll road fees? For years the toll road companies and the NRA justified annual increases because of inflation, so surely the reverse should happen now? – Yours, etc,

Missing a shot of 'Scrap Saturday'

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:42 GMT

Madam, – I lived through the recession of the 1980s and am living through our present difficult times. Is it possible that the pain feels far worse this time because I have no anaesthetic? A good shot of Scrap Saturday administered to me coursed through my veins and left me fit to fight. Why is there no anti-Nama inoculation coming across the airwaves? – Yours, etc,

Glass half-full?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:42 GMT

Madam, – According to the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (Home News, November 3rd), 2,000 pubs are predicted to close in the next 10 years. A chance exists, therefore, that we Irish may begin to wean ourselves off alcohol. Can I dream that hospitals may start treating people who suffer from non-drinks related ailments between Thursday and Sunday? Is it possible that alcohol-related road deaths may decline to less horrifying levels? Could it be that the endless talent wasted on alcohol in Ireland might one day fulfil its potential? My compliments to the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland and its report for offering the country hope in these dark, troubled times! – Yours, etc,

Time to withdraw from the euro

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:42 GMT

Madam, – The governor of the Bank of England must thank St George that his government didn’t surrender control of the pound sterling to the gentlemen of the European Central Bank. Watching the bumper-to-bumper convoy of cars streaming across the Border for shopping must fill him with a justifiable smug satisfaction.

Whether or not to wear the poppy

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:41 GMT

Madam, – It appears that some of your recent letter writers fail to grasp the salient points of the annual remembrance ceremonies and indeed role of the Royal British Legion here in Ireland.

A parrot in the garden

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:41 GMT

Madam, – A parrot has taken up residence in a tree at the bottom of my garden. Is this to do with global warming? – Yours, etc,

Sharing the pain of economic crisis

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:41 GMT

Madam, – It was uplifting to hear President Mary McAleese, speak on Morning Ireland so positively about the cut-backs we should all be making, whether in the public or private sector.

From the top

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:41 GMT

Madam, – With redundancies in the air at Anglo Irish Bank, is it too much to hope that the well-established practice of “last in first out” be jettisoned in favour of the much more appropriate format of selecting individuals for redundancy from the top down? – Yours, etc,

Keeping within the speed limit

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:41 GMT

Madam, – Sarah Carey’s piece on the joys of driving in Ireland was amusing insofar as it cast her in a worse light than those nostril-flared tailgaiters she railed against (Opinion, November 4th). Her somewhat self-righteous adherence to the speed limit is at least as dangerous as the behaviour of the terminally frustrated drivers in her rear view mirror.

Men-only ruling for golf club

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:47:41 GMT

Madam, – So, congratulations are due to the male members of Portmarnock Golf Club, who can continue to limit its facilities from the onslaught of the lady players of Ireland.

Combating climate change

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:32 GMT

Madam, – I am writing with reference to the article by Frank McDonald “EU leaders face heated debate on climate policy” (Opinion, October 23rd). We believe that the issue tackled by the author is of utmost importance and we generally agree with the views presented.

Chomsky's 'end of Christianity'

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:32 GMT

Madam, – It is quite extraordinary for Naom Chomsky, who normally and so brilliantly dissects social phenomena, to equate the “end of Christianity with the defeat of Liberation theology” in El Salvador 20 years ago when six Jesuits, their housekeeper and daughter had their brains blown apart by Salvadoran forces acting under orders from the highest level (Home News, November 4th).

Leaving Ireland's 'bankrupt' shores

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:32 GMT

Madam, – I was dismayed to read the bleak contents of an article under the bleaker still headline “Ireland is a disaster . . . leave now and enjoy your life” (Opinion, November 2nd). I wish The Irish Times would report about those of us who are still here trying to make a go of it. I am a 26-year-old graduate (class of 2004), just about hanging on to my job.

Not in the mood . . .

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:32 GMT

Madam, – As if having to suffer the ever-deepening economic crisis, a Government that seems incapable of showing leadership, Nama, the dreadful weather, vision-seeing individuals and their gullible followers, swine flu, contaminated drinking water, a third-world healthcare system, deserted local Garda stations, no broadband, poor roads and an excuse of a public transport system (at least in my part of the country), were not bad enough, we now have to suffer the fast-spreading virus and witless awfulness of Jedward and the return of the Nolan Sisters to concert stages countrywide.

A deficit of fresh ideas

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:32 GMT

Madam, – Andreas Hess (Opinion, October 31st) urges Irish intellectuals, not only economists, to produce new thinking about the present and future of Irish society and politics. Has he reflected on the obstacles to their doing this in a sustained and adequate manner in this Republic?

Funds for suicide prevention

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:32 GMT

Madam, – The suicide rate is up again (Front page, October 30th). Perhaps the Government would now explain why it failed to distribute the one million euros promised to suicide prevention programmes from the dormant accounts fund, money that I believe is not the property of the Government, and that applicants in September 2008 were told would be given out last February?

Cross-Border shopping

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:31 GMT

Madam, – I take exception to Alan Fairbrother’s comment regarding cross-Border shoppers (November 3rd), implying that this crippled Government, propped up by the Green party crutch, should cut income and supplements to each household in order to stem this flow of shoppers. Most of these people shop in the North in order to get value for their money, and survive these hard times, incurred through no fault of their own.

Men-only ruling for golf club

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:31 GMT

Madam, – I was saddened and disgusted to hear that Portmarnock Golf Club has succeeded in keeping its membership men-only. Regardless of the Supreme Court ruling, the words Portmarnock Golf Club will always be synonymous with a backward looking misogyny.

Whether or not to wear a poppy

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:31 GMT

Madam, – Each year at this time Irish society is forced to endure sterile and divisive controversy concerning Armistice Day, poppy wearing, and the commemoration of the thousands of Irish who died serving with British forces during the first World War.

Taking on the task of nation-building

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:31 GMT

Madam, – Elaine Byrne’s column on nation-building (Opinion, November 3rd) should be compulsory reading for everybody in a position of leadership and influence in our country today and a copy should always be at hand. I attended a conferring ceremony of the National College of Art and Design in the O’Reilly Hall in UCD on Monday afternoon to present a prize to an excellent education graduate. The future we present to these gifted young people is, as Ms Byrne infers, very bleak.

Community projects under threat?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:31 GMT

Madam, – Minister of State John Curran is planning the alignment of the Community Development Programme (CDP) with the local partnership companies. Following a (behind closed doors) review of the 180 or so projects in the CDP, it is anticipated that a majority will cease to exist, with the remainder to be swallowed-up by their local partnership company.

A new-age reader

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – I’d like you to know that I am one of a breed of “new- age readers” of The Irish Times.

Savouring Jammet's

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – Some of your readers will remember Jammet’s, a venerable old establishment, in its day one of the top five restaurants in Europe. It opened in Andrew Street, Dublin, in 1901, moved to Nassau Street in 1927 (the current Porterhouse premises) and closed its doors in 1967, running for 66 of the most formative years in Irish history.

Drink-driving proposals

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – It is unfortunate that the Healy Raes of South Kerry have become the public face and spokesmen for rural Ireland regarding the proposed lowering of the alcohol levels for drivers (Weekend Review, October 31st), as they provide light relief for urban-based commentators while letting the Government parties keep a low profile.

Palestinian access to water

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – Dr Hikmat Ajjuri, the Palestinian Delegate-General, shows (November 2nd) a selective memory of the 1990s in claiming that Israel “never respected” the agreements reached between Israel and the Palestinians under the Oslo Accords. In blaming Israel for the failure to establish a Palestinian state he forgets that in 2000-01 at Camp David and Taba the then Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, made an extremely generous proposal for the sake of peace, offering the Palestinians most of the West Bank plus the Gaza Strip as a Palestinian state. Mr Arafat refused and precipitated the Second Intifada. It was this refusal that caused President Clinton to blame Mr Arafat publicly for the failure of the peace summit.

When the Wall came down

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – I remember when the Berlin Wall was being pulled down, there was an item on RTÉ news stating, “The Berlin Wall came down to the sound of a familiar voice”. That voice was Chris de Burgh, who had been personally asked by Chancellor Kohl to sing on that very important occasion. – Yours etc,

Follow the labels

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – Given David McWilliams’s apparant constant craving for publicity and his fondness for assigning labels to all he surveys, might I suggest that he is the father of a new variant of the “dismal science” that has recently appeared in Ireland: egonomics. – Yours, etc,

Getting feet off the seats

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

A chara, – Perhaps if the seats on the Dart were designed in such a way as to be comfortable, people would not feel the need to use the seats in front of them to keep themselves upright? – Is mise,

A home for the Abbey

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – Why, as proposed, move a building that is a symbol of art and culture on this island into a building (the GPO) which is a symbol of violence and diversity? – Yours, etc,

Knock apparitions

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – If the Archbishop of Tuam considers the recent antics of Joe Coleman at the Knock Basilica as degrading the praise and glory of God, then he should be factual that there never was an appearance at Knock in 1879. The continual charade at Knock by the Roman Catholic church degrades God just as much as Mr Coleman.

Unions' day of action

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

A chara, – Like Declan Doyle (November 3rd), I am a public sector worker and trade union member, but I fully support the proposed day of action on November 24th. I too agree that the problems we face in this country require a rational response. My rationale is very simple: the burden of the current financial crisis cannot be borne solely by public service workers. I have no difficulty in agreeing to a significant tax hike, as that at least has the merit of equity to some degree. The strike is not about simply following trade union leaders, it is a plea for an equal sharing of the burden from those who are already paying. – Is mise,

Funding for Protestant schools

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – I congratulate Ian French, governor of The King’s Hospital (October 29th) for having a scheme where 10 per cent of the school’s pupils from less well off families are funded by a means-tested Government grant which was available to Protestant schools.

Whether or not to wear a poppy

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders fields the poppies blow/Between the crosses, row on row . . .” is unforgettably evocative. Forgetting the Irish dead in the first World War is an act of moral cowardice. Yet, I feel uncomfortable about wearing the British Legion poppy over my breast because it has become a symbol of British nationalism alongside the Union flag. Neither can I wear an Easter lily which is the Irish nationalist equivalent.

Taxing child benefit

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – In arguing “Tax on child benefit fairest for low-income families” (Opinion, October 27th), Tim Callan and Brian Nolan ignore an obvious question: on whose income should child benefit be taxed? They ramble on about families’ incomes, but they should know that our system doesn’t tax families, but individuals. Which individual in each family should be taxed on this income? In my family, the child benefit for our three children is paid to me.

Sharing the pain of economic crisis

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – I write as one of many State pensioners, with a great deal of anxiety due to a proposed reduction in my pension in the next Budget. I, and most of my fellow- pensioners, contributed over our working lives for this modest pension, unlike politicians who receive exorbitant ones.

Controversy over Nama

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:19:17 GMT

Madam, – The special purpose vehicle (SPV) is the latest worrying development in the whole sorry saga that is Nama. Who would have thought that a sovereign democratic Government – allegedly with the blessing of Eurostat – would resort to such unorthodox accounting practices? Similar practices are at best frowned upon, at worst, illegal, in the corporate world. They played a pivotal role in the multi-billion dollar collapse of corporations such as Enron and Worldcom – officers of which were subsequently prosecuted in the criminal courts.

The true spirit of Halloween

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – Daniel Howard is factually incorrect in claiming that “early Christianity adopted many pagan festivals” (October 31st).

Getting feet off the seats

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – The annoyance of Joe McBride in seeing Dart passengers resting their feet on adjoining seats is understandable. (November 2nd). Here on Merseyside, the local rail provider – Merseytravel – has adopted a zero tolerance approach to such behaviour.

Cut in development aid funding

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – The letter regarding aid funding (October 26th) seems to disregard the fact that Ireland Inc is almost bankrupt. Instead of pleading for a return to the profligate ways of old, the signatories should be asking the Government to aid smarter rather than to aid more.

Leaving Ireland's 'bankrupt shores'

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – On reading the comments published (Opinion, November 2nd) in response to Shane Fitzgerald’s views on leaving Ireland’s “bankrupt shores” (Opinion, October 29th), I am struck by the venom expressed by some of my fellow expats. I refer in particular to the reference by “Jay” to “corruption in the Government, banks, business, police, law, and even the Catholic Church (Home Rule was certainly Rome rule)”.

Storing knives safely

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – There appears to be an increasing number of cases of knife violence in the home. The trend for storing kitchen knives in wooden blocks or attached to magnetic wall strips has also increased. Both storage methods are handy and not unattractive. But in the course of an argument, the combination of momentary rage and accessibility can be lethal. Using the “out of sight, out of mind” principle, storing kitchen knives in a secure drawer may save some, but not all, of the lives so needlessly lost in domestic violence. – Yours, etc,

Prohibiting a budget deficit

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – I would like to propose a constitutional amendment, which for the future, would enshrine in our written Constitution the legal prohibition of any government spending that would lead to a budget deficit for Ireland.

Knock apparition gatherings

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – Might there have been a hint of Father Ted-inspired irony in the Archbishop of Tuam’s hypothesis that Knock Shrine, faced with the prospect of a scheduled appearance by Our Lady, would be best served by retaining its authentic identity? – Yours, etc,

Cross-Border shopping

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – As a number of people believe shopping across the border is okay and don’t mind helping to prop up the UK exchequer, maybe Brian Lenihan and Mary Hanafin should take note and decrease the minimum wage, old-age pension and social welfare to UK levels? – Yours, etc,

Swine flu vaccinations

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – It has happened again! In spite of ordering the swine flu vaccine several weeks ago, and the new campaign starting this week, myself and the local GPs still have not received any supplies. – Yours, etc,

A stake through the heart

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – Nama for the banks, garlic for the Minister, and a stake through the heart for the electorate! – Yours, etc,

Whether or not to wear a poppy

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – Fionnuala O’Connor’s article (Opinion, October 29th) may be true in its assertion that a piece of red fabric in the shape of a flower brings a small dilemma to some Northerners, however, I believe there are many living in the southern part of the island who are also in a quandary about wearing a poppy at this time of year.

Public sector pay and conditions

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – A prerequisite in the provision of 24/7 services are the staff who are duty-bound to work antisocial hours. Premium pay is an acknowledgment by employers of the impact upon our families and our health of delivering such services. While I provide a high level of care to patients, I am first and foremost a professional trying to earn a living. Seán McGrath (Home News, October 29th) and my fellow public servants in the Dáil doubtlessly consider me a cost as opposed to a resource, and I object to their attempts to undermine my ability to provide for myself and my family. Perhaps if Messrs McGrath et al worked public holidays, 26 weekends per annum and night duty at six- weekly intervals, they might share my opinion that premium pay is core pay. – Yours, etc,

A deficit of fresh ideas

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:33 GMT

Madam, – Andreas Hess rightly regrets the deficit of fresh ideas in Ireland’s public discourse (Opinion, October 31st). Maybe the Royal Irish Academy’s symposium later this month will help, Nama-like, to get them flowing again. But the delicate flower of good ideas may find it very difficult to bloom in the harsh soil of what constitutes Irish public debate.

Unions' day of action

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:32 GMT

Madam, – I am a public sector worker and trade union member who will not be striking on November 24th, or any time soon.

Current affairs as fairy tale

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:52:03 GMT

Madam, – Sarah Carey is entitled to her view of RTÉ’s The Frontline (Opinion, October 28th). It’s certainly an original one judging by other media comment and, more importantly, the reaction of our viewers. Certainly the programme includes a lot of passionate contributions from the audience – which is a good thing, not a bad thing – but it also features substantial argument about important national issues.

Letters Policy

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:27:06 GMT

The Irish Times receives a great many letters each day and it is possible to find space for only a small selection. Therefore, when writing, please be as concise as possible. It is our policy to represent as wide a range of views as possible within the constraints of libel and taste. However, we do require writers to put their names to their opinions. Therefore, we do not publish letters using pseudonyms or other formulae to conceal the writer’s identity, such as “name and address with editor”.