Last week in Clonmel Hospital 20 people lay on trolleys in the corridors while 60 members of the Seanad are paid to be on holidays.

Invariably, over my lifetime I and many of us have remarked how the weather always seems to improve just as the children have gone back to school after their summer holidays.

Like your correspondent, Paul Farrell, I too mourn the demise of Rachel Corrie.

It beggars belief that, at a time when a Government in which their party is a partner is cutting homecare hours, etc, a group of Labour deputies have declared their opposition to the abolition of the Seanad, which is, in fact, Labour policy, not out of any regard for the Seanad, but because, despite the expense involved, they want to maintain the Seanad as an insurance policy lest they lose their Dáil seats!

Minister O’Reilly must be congratulated for his wisdom in announcing that the “burden” of cuts must fall on the “better paid” and not the sick and vulnerable.

On the question of saving money on public service allowances, why not start with the Oireachtas?

I think Jim Roche is missing some facts when he raises questions as to ‘why a supposedly neutral country should invite a US military warship to dock in Dublin and for its sailors to be allowed free access to roam our streets’ (Letters, Sept 4).

I take issue with John Bannon in the article ‘You are the ref’ (Aug 27) where, in particular, he states Conor O’Mahony of Tipperary should have got a red card for striking T J Reid with his hurley.

I’m delighted that Jim Roche of the Irish Anti War Movement is keeping a eye on US warships visiting our shores, (Letters, Sept 4).

The latest threats from Government spindoctors is that funds will be cut to sports clubs and other organisations unless we all now pay the household tax.