MY stay in hospital, three or four years ago, confirmed for me that, while care was usually present in abundance below doctor level, there was no real competence left anywhere.

MINISTER for the Environment Phil Hogan has claimed that women and men that oppose gender quotas are part of “a conservative culture”.

SOME commentators in the media have — in melodramatic mode — drawn a comparison between the treatment meted out to Senator David Norris, and that of Oscar Wilde.

IN response to Maurice Fitzgerald (Letters, June17), I would contend that the car scrappage scheme was one of the most ridiculous, worst and most wasteful ever introduced.

THE news that Libyan “rebels” are working with the Americans to restart production from the oil wells they have seized to sell back to them has only been reported in recent oil industry journals.

AT the time of our last presidential election in 1997, the greatest problem facing this country was the very uncertain and fragile peace which ensued from the Northern troubles and the Good Friday agreement.

I AGREE with Michael Mernagh that there should not be a sell-off of state assets.

OVER the next 10 days, we will see several target shooting competitions being run in Ireland, from club level matches, to national level matches, to an enormous international shooting competition (the Creedmoor Cup, last held in Ireland in 1875) and the Irish team and their fans and spectators will also be representing Ireland in the Olympic target shooting world cup in Munich.

I HAVE just returned from the hurling match in Limerick.