As an elected representative of the Irish people to the European Parliament I would like to distance myself from the remarks of An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, in relation to how the new government of Greece should progress in its debt negotiations with the EU.

Since 1995, 20,000 refugees and asylum seekers have died in the Mediterranean Sea fleeing persecution and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. Some of this poverty and persecution is caused by European exploitation and inappropriate military interference.

With reference to Sean O’Riordan’s articles on the Irish Air Corps, it is ludicrous to suggest that this impoverished country should find €70m for a fighter plane, and we would need three planes to keep two maintained in flight-readiness.

I’ve been studying this area intensively for at least two years.

The recent arrests of protestors shows the lengths the Government will go to, and how desperate they are, to discredit protesting citizens.

Congratulations on both your opinion piece (Irish Examiner, February 10) and the tone and balance of yesterday’s edition.

“Clare Daly, in her attempt to introduce legislation to allow for termination of pregnancy in the case of fatal foetal abnormality, did the State some service”.

The official information desk at Cork Airport, I learned on a recent visit, wasn’t aware that the Eason’s there was being taken over by another bookseller. What a joke!

We really need to get a bit of clarity around the ECB and its role and responsibilities prior to 2008.

Sean O’Riordan (‘How much to protect skies above Ireland?’, Analysis, February 11) has raised an important issue.