I have been monitoring the proposals for a conference centre in Cork City. This is a great opportunity, if we look at the greater scheme of things.

Re Barry Walsh’s recent letter about the Irish language: many voluntary groups are working tirelessly to keep the cúpla focal bouyant, in a slowly ‘sinking’ ship, but are aware of how little funding is available ó Rialtas na hÉireann when they try to get a worthwhile project off the ground.

The headline statistics on page one (Irish Examiner, Dec 14) presented a stark synopsis of Ireland’s ‘crash’ and bailout, from 2007-13: 428,000 people emigrated and 391,000 are unemployed, an increase of 220,000.

Children in Hospital Ireland-Yoobyoo is a small national charity providing play for children in hospitals throughout the country and advocating for best standards in the delivery of care to all sick children and their families.

After watching the news last weekend, to my horror the sick low people are trying to bring us back to the dark days of Northern Ireland.

The period of the recession and bailout in Ireland has been notable for the setting of new records in unemployment, emigration, homelessness and suicide.

As a regulator contributor to various charitable organisations by means of direct debit, I should like to be informed how much their senior management earn per annum, in order that I may make a value judgement as to whether I shall continue to support them.

Ruairi McKiernan (Letters, Dec 13) uses the death of Nelson Mandela to attack Israel, saying the Palestinians experience a new ‘Berlin Wall.’

Enda Kenny has told the people that exiting the bailout sends a powerful signal internationally; that now is not the time to change direction and that the future is to be about employment generating enterprise, not personal deal-making.

Recently, the Tánaiste was interviewed on The Week In Politics.