Water charges were introduced in 1983 in urban areas — these were strongly resisted, by Fianna Fáil (in opposition) and by the public.

I am a student of Youthreach Knocknaheeny and I am writing to raise the topic of bullying amongst teenagers and young people. It is a huge issue and we all need to take action.

I would like to highlight that recent media revelations relating to travel expenses do not apply to me.

It is disappointing that it has taken the ongoing CRC scandal to finally create the political will to appoint a charity regulator.

As the scandals unfold at the Central Remedial Clinic, and other top payments that look more like grand larceny, we learn that a 79-year-old Aosdána member and long-time human rights activist Margaretta Darcy has been jailed in Limerick prison for protesting against the use of Shannon airport by torturers, human rights abusers and US war criminals.

I take issue with Paula Burns’ recent “Give me chic Carrie...” article (Life/Style, Jan 21).

You have to begin to wonder whether we have really gone crazy. Since the founding of the State we have a water supply system which has been operated reasonably efficiently by our county councils.

Ireland’s farming industry is going from strength to strength, with export sales at their highest in recent years and promises of €12.5bn of funding from the Government over the next seven years, to encourage further increases in export food production.

Regarding your report on court poor boxes (Irish Examiner, Jan 21), sending money to foreign charities is doing a disservice to our economy.

As a student who studied for the Junior Cert exam I was pleased to hear that the Government have taken steps to introduce a new system of learning that hopefully will encompass every aspect of student creativity rather than just concentrating on a narrow-minded exam-orientated schedule that leads to the exclusion of many talented individuals who oftentimes are overlooked by teachers who perceive them as lacking any real academic ability.