Once again, special interests have dominated our annual budget and the Government has bowed to the pressure of the fat cat capitalist class.

I refer to a letter carried by the Irish Examiner on Dec 5 from a Mr Marshall in the United States.

What is not appreciated is that this €3.5bn of cuts and tax hikes are permanent and that the €2.5bn cuts next year and minimum €1bn of cuts and taxes the following year are also permanent until and unless there is growth in the domestic market.

After reading Victoria White’s excellent column last week, I must say the documentary, The Fairytale of Katmandu, resonated with me because the children depicted reminded me of the children I met during my employment as an out-of-hours social worker on the streets of Dublin, through the night, between 1992 and 2007.

The standard of driving and the amount of attention given to it as the Christmas rush begins is deteriorating rapidly. Drivers are becoming sluggish and slow and very unpredictable.

The march held in Dublin last Saturday week was a great success and I was delighted to be part of this “gathering”.

‘What are we going to do about the rates? Businesses are closing.’

I note with interest the piece by Mr Ignacio Saiz featured in your paper (Nov 30).

I oppose the “organic” salmon farming scheme which is being considered for Galway Bay.

What a good editorial on the complacency with which we all seem to accept that we should fund the gambling bond holders who gambled with Anglo and the other irresponsible mandarins of banking (Irish Examiner, Nov 30).