SO, the president of DCU, Professor Brian MacCraith, believes that teachers should undergo ongoing training and refresher courses.

I HAVE a map of the world on my kitchen wall and I can clearly see the relative size of Germany and France and the US to Ireland.

THE controversy surrounding the issuing of new work uniforms to “front of house” staff in state-owned Allied Irish Bank has brought the worst of reactions from otherwise rational people, (AIB to spend €1.6m on new uniforms, Irish Examiner, August 5).

IF Health Minister James Reilly decides on a giant leap forward with a proposal to ban smoking in cars, he’s availing of a cheap fix for an ironclad winner at the wrong time.

WITH the Leaving Certificate results due in mid-August, the secondary school education system will be brought sharply into focus.

I AM weary of the empathy heaped on the victims of the polar bear in Norway.

SO, the past top dog at Irish Nationwide was given a €11,500 watch which finished up as a total burden to the Irish taxpayer of over €20,000, this is on top of his lump sum payment of €1m and a hefty pension pot.

FOLLOWING the forced withdrawal of Senator David Norris from seeking the endorsement of the required number of TDs or local authorities in his endeavour to enter the Presidential election contest, perhaps all the other prospective candidates, in the interests of fairness and balance, should be subject to the same level of scrutiny also.

THE HSE’s ‘freeze’ on recruitment of frontline staff for whom an embargo was waived is an indication that it has been dragging its heels all along.

I COULD not believe it when I read Ivan Yates (August 4) recommending to Government that to be successful it needed to indulge in ‘superb spin’.