Your editorial (Irish Examiner, August 7) dealing with the attendance of young Fine Gael members at a conservative youth conference is dangerously intolerant of opposing views, and dangerously incendiary by attempting to link the inherent evil of white supremacy and racism to mainstream conservatism.

I am writing to vent my frustration and to plead with Cork theatregoers to please, please, STOP eating sweets during stage performances.

Brendan Howlin has repeatedly stated that he can do nothing about the controversial increases in pensions due to ex-Taoisigh, Ministers and TDs under the Lansdowne Rd Agreement.

It’s embarrassing to read of WW2 and the Holocaust and realise that Ireland was found severely wanting in taking in Jewish refugees. 

There was an advertisement in the Irish Examiner, and in the other national papers, last Friday (March 20), about a review of local property tax by the Department of Finance. Submissions are wanted, “preferably by email”, and an email address was given, but no postal address.

I lived in Edinburgh for a number of years, and am married to a Scotsman, but I have no idea how the Scots should vote in tomorrow’s referendum.

Thanks to Des O’Driscoll (Arts, June 13) for his very interesting article on Cork City’s music scene, reminding us of the history of Cork’s Arcadia Ballroom, as it was initially known.

While I agree with some of Fergus Finlay’s points in his article “Villages and towns outside the Pale will die without urgent action” (Opinion, February 4) I take exception to his opinions on a one-off visit to Ballydehob, Glandore, Schull and Castletownshend on a cold February last weekend.

A recent article in your paper entitled “How do we protect kids from online predators? ” caught my attention as we are hearing more and more horrible stories about predators grooming children they have met online.

I am writing this letter to tell the Taoiseach exactly how it would affect me and upset my parents if he doesn’t return my medical card.

I was incensed to read that tenants of local authority houses, or councillors on their behalf, are objecting to a rent increase of maybe €100 per annum. It is to cover, or partly cover, the local authority’s Local Property Tax (LPT) liability.

Victoria White’s (Opinion, Sept 19) is a typical response to a politician concerned about his constituents. If the matter relates to race or religion, dismiss the politician or his constituents as bigots.

Irish meat contaminated?

At the last general election I voted Labour — one of the worst decisions of my life.

Civil and public servants must be immune to the constant bashing of our private sector brethren.

I think it is time that the abortion debate which has been raging in this country on and off for 30 years is taken out of the hands of the extremists and taken on by, what I hope is, the rational, compassionate majority of in-betweeners.

How ironic that in an article about slips and errors in recent speeches by the Taoiseach (“Kenny’s got the facts and tone wrong”, Aug 25), Michael Clifford should come up with the wonderful line about “the Blueshirts raising [Michael Collins] to the top of their petard”.

My daughters and I have just enjoyed a wonderful night’s entertainment at the Cork Opera House.

Now that we have had the household charge and water charges are coming, I predict that the next charge that the Government will impose that affects our daily lives will be a tax on sex.

Mathematics is a challenging subject, and I think it is only fair to give the 18%, or one quarter, of those students who opt for higher maths, a bonus of 25 points.

Alcohol abuse in our society is again becoming a topic for much discussion, mainly around the problem of cheap availability of alcohol and under-age drinking.

I MAKE reference to a recent editorial headed “A chance to inspire or divide” (April 26).

WE now face into an election which is unlikely to result in substantial changes to the provisions of the budget and Finance Bill.

IT now appears our failure to legislate in areas other than financial is becoming more and more apparent.

FIANNA Fáil, the republican party... what republic?

I WISH to congratulate Maureen O’Donnell on the superb letter headlined ‘Neil Prendeville and the national ‘Do you know who I am?’ syndrome’ (November 9).

IN response to Denis Moloney’s letter (August 16) I, as a member of Fine Gael, was also disappointed to read Senator Liam Twomey’s point of view with regard to Finance Minister Brian Lenihan addressing the annual Michael Collins commemoration at Béal na mBláth.

Further to Fr Tom Ingoldsby’s letter (June 23) I thought it prudent to point out that “sodomy” (ie consensual homosexual acts) has been legal in Ireland since 1993, following the repeal of the Victorian Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

IT’S no surprise that Cardinal Seán Brady won’t resign following the disclosure of his part in the cover-up of Fr Brendan Smyth’s sexual assaults on children as far back as 1975.

FOLLOWING the massive flooding of Cork last week, the city and county management has a lot to answer for. The city manager says the flooding was “a totally unprecedented situation”.

MAYBE we should find it in our hearts to temper our condemnation of “zero tolerance man” John O’Donoghue in his hour of need.

IN his letter (May 29), Gregóir de Buitléir posed the question “cui bono... to whose benefit is it to censure all religious brothers and all schools?

THE most important lesson to come from the Ryan commission report into institutional child abuse is that all Irish citizens who were old enough to understand what was going on in these hellhole institutions for childcare must carry some of the blame for not caring or speaking up.

OUR political masters are pulling the wool over our eyes again with the Bord Gais electricity deal.

I HAVE no wish to add to the current preoccupation of the media with the clerical abuse of children but I feel someone should tell Fergus Finlay he is totally out of touch with reality in his venomous attack on the bishop of Cloyne (January 6).

IF one assumes the average industrial wage to be €35,700, then a family of two children with one parent working outside the home and the other within will pay an extra €360 tax levy per annum.

I WISH to endorse Harry Burke’s letter (“Scurrilous’ move to increase pupil/teacher ratio”, October 28). What sense he makes with so many children being brought up in one-parent families and troubled homes.

THE property bubble was caused in no small measure by financial institutions lending excessive sums to property developers to buy land at hugely inflated prices which led inevitably to these same financial institutions giving mortgages of up to 110% in many cases to house-buyers to enable them to buy the houses built by the developers.

IN your report headlined ‘Head of hospital consultants appalled at Neary scandal’ (September 4), I was drawn to the rather curious response by Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) general secretary Finbarr Fitzpatrick when explaining the failure of three senior members of the association to back the suspension of Dr Neary after their review of his work practices.

SINCE the Olympic Games in Beijing there has been much debate as to which events we should dedicate our limited resources and talents in order to get the best return.

WEREN’T smokers right idiots to heed the smoking ban legislation.

IT’S becoming very apparent, following the referendum no vote, that our politicians are at a complete loss as to how to proceed.

I REFER to your report (June 24) concerning Jason Kelly, consultant plastic surgeon, and plastic surgery services at Cork University Hospital (CUH).

FURTHER to your interesting article on Making Babies (Feelgood, April 18), readers may be interested to know more about the fertility care approach of NaProTechnology.

AS a result of the recent accident involving the five articulated trucks on the N8 at Kilworth, I wish to put these proposals to the NRA:

OUR Teflon Taoiseach’s outer layer is slowly unravelling, revealing an anorak lined with large pockets which appear to have been put to good use.

I AM sorry if I and many others are an embarrassment to Terry Prone (Irish Examiner, Nov 8) for expressing an oppinion on the recent US election.

WITH the Minister of Transport about to hold a summit once more to discuss our appalling road safety record, why has the Government, without EU ‘harmonisation,’ unilaterally implemented life-saving anti-smoking measures?