During the economic depression of the 1930s, propagandists singled out specific minorities for particular abuse.

It has been said recently that to exclude the threat of suicide as grounds for a legal abortion would be to wrongly cast aspersions on both women and doctors as it would suggest that they would dishonestly claim that a threat of suicide exists in order to obtain an abortion.

With reference to your recent article on Canada by Jennifer Hough, I enjoyed reading it and was pleased to see the Canadians acknowledged for their generosity towards immigrants.

On foot of Phil Hogan’s orders, Revenue are supposed to send everyone ‘a guide’ in 2013 telling them what they think the house is worth (and the owner, pay) backed up by threats of invading your home, privacy and bank account if you beg to differ.

Michael Clifford is correct about tribunals, their costs, etc. But he does not explain the legal basis for those costs and delays.

Benedict Arnold (a general in the American colonial army who defected to the British for monetary reward) is a name synonymous, throughout the world, with an act of treachery.

I read with interest the report by Fiachra Ó Cionnaith (Irish Examiner, Dec 28), that the HSE accidently sent a confidential email to the Irish Examiner.

Your editorial on Dec 29 said that despite the economic problems of recent years, the circumstances in this country “are enviable when compared to the lot of billions of people around the world”.

We are regularly told that women — and women alone — should decide the outcome of the abortion issue, since matters relating to their health and bodily integrity should not be decided even in part by men.

My new year’s wish is the same this year as last: I dearly wish the people would see that they hold all the power to be able to reject the dysfunctional and corrupt monetary, legal and state systems that are imposed on them daily.