I don’t want to come across as a carper, but I feel that the recent think-in of Fine Gael was in bad taste.

Ann O’Loughlin’s article is timely in its portrayal of yet more inept Irish Governmental policies to raise tax revenue for the exchequer.

The planned appearance on October 5th of the Band of the Irish Guards at the K Club in Co Kildare at a charity event which is being organised by the Security and Emergency Services Ireland Forum (SESIF) has apparently raised the ire of some members of our Republican community.

Minister Alan Shatter has made it clear that the State will not “permit paramilitary displays, in any part of the Irish Government’s jurisdiction”. This policy is a recent novelty and not without contradiction and incredible hypocrisy.

The response to the latest shocking revelations of clerical sex abuse have included calls for new Garda inquiries and investigations.

Regarding ‘Why we should welcome warships’ (Letters, Sept 9) Anthony Leavy is missing some basic facts.

It is this time of the year where I see across the countryside farmers killing off their grain crops with weed killers in order to make harvesting easier.

I read with interest a very coherent and common sense opinion piece in today’s Irish Examiner about the madness of, and an alternative to, the government’s proposed property tax.

Further to Pierce O’Loughlin’s letter (Sept 7), suspending the Seanad till a referendum is held would be a good idea.

Michael Clifford is nothing if not fervently candid (Opinion, Sept 8): “Clare Daly used to haunt my dreams.”