I am delighted with the enlightened proposal of Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar, that our place names have equal status in the Irish language on new road signs, as these are put in place in the coming years.

The elephant in the room regarding Irish soccer is why a small island, with a population of less than 7m people, has two teams in international competitions.

Your recent article (Nov 11), ‘Parents rally over withdrawal of vital Supports,’ said the HSE had insisted that there had been “no alteration in the guidelines” for the allocation of medical cards.

The UN has called for £190m aid for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan.

I am amazed that when it comes down to money, principles and responsibilities are suddenly forgotten.

Listening to the Joe Duffy show last week I was reminded of the contempt the state and Catholic Church has for dumped children, and the very sad history of the victims.

As an avid reader of your newspaper I was most disappointed with your Farming crossword prize last Thursday.

So, we are exiting the bailout.

Is it now time to dispense with State funerals?

A Leavy (Examiner letters Thurs Nov 7) is right to suggest we might protect our privacy by learning to be more discreet.