It’s shocking the revelation that the taxpayer will stump up almost €20m to cover severance payments to local councillors who either lost their seats or who retired after the recent local elections. Departing councillors are in line for significant severance payments.

The Taoiseach says it reflects the will of the people to have a government majority on the banking inquiry.

Given that the Government has committed to consulting a wide range of opinion regarding the scope of the Commission of Investigation into mother-and-baby homes, I would like to issue a plea that the foremost issue to be decided should be which institutions are included.

When the decision to establish an Oireachtas Joint Committee to conduct a banking inquiry was announced in April, over 12 months after the expiry of the blanket bank guarantee, we were advised that public confidence would be inspired because the banking inquiry would demonstrate ‘an example of parliament at its best’, as it would be the first inquiry conducted under new enabling legislation.

Thanks to Des O’Driscoll (Arts, June 13) for his very interesting article on Cork City’s music scene, reminding us of the history of Cork’s Arcadia Ballroom, as it was initially known.

In relation to the new mayoral agreement in Cork City and the role of Sinn Féin, I think it is important to present a balanced perspective.

Lest we forget, US-led Western military aggression in Afghanistan and the Middle East created chaos, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths and human rights abuses.

Anyone with a basic grasp of history should be asking a few simple questions.

A creative, relevant and agile government response is required to the tax probe launched by the EU into Apple, the concerns of the US Senate and the widely reported comments of governor Jerry Brown of California.

Kathy Ferguson (Letters, June 12) is right. We are in the year 2014 and the abuse still goes on.