In her staunch support for Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin as a politician of some substance, Terry Prone made claims regarding his ard fheis speech that simply do not stand up (Opinion, March 5).

In her recent sermon-like article (Irish Examiner, Feb 6) Terry Prone castigated the Irish people for what she describes as their licensed envy and resentment against those perceived to be insulated against the current recession.

PLEASE allow me to welcome our new Minister for Finance, Olli Rehn, to the country. His brief, no-nonsense ‘it is appropriate’ response to the forthcoming €6bn budget cut is a refreshing change from the endless turning of (blind) corners.

FINANCE Minister Brian Lenihan now says the upcoming budget and economic plan “represents one step back for the country after it has taken many steps forward”.

ACCORDING to a recent media report, Pakistan’s Catholic bishops have called for an end to that country’s blasphemy law.

ON last Friday’s Late Late Show, Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness endorsed the following statement which he first made in September 2008:

ARTICLE 48 of the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights says: “Everyone who has been charged shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.”

The GAA have announced the squads which have been selected for the U21 and senior hurling/shinty internationals against Scotland on Saturday next, October 18.

THE advertising campaign by publicans designed to encourage patrons back to pub life is an indication of how worried they are about falling trade.

ON Friday last I entered a supermarket to purchase some groceries.

THE recent controversy over the help given by Bertie Ahern to Norman Turner in obtaining a passport has revealed the existence of a separate service operated by TDs for their constituents.

EIGHTY-FIVE years of independence, 15 years of boom with countless billions sloshing around: one truck breaks down and the capital city is gridlocked for over seven hours.

IN response to the claim that his new salary would exceed that of the leaders of France, Britain and the US, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said, “I’m glad I don’t own Chequers and I don’t have No 10. I don’t have the Élysée Palace. If you want to build those in, then you would know what the figures would be, and I certainly don’t want the White House.” (RTÉ, Six One News, October 26.)

ACCORDING to your political editor Harry McGee, Finance Minister Brian Cowen is “the personification of the heart and soul of his party and what it represents and stands for” (Irish Examiner, September 29).

SO Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert is to face a criminal investigation into his purchase of a property.

ONCE again the corrupt Charles Haughey has been honoured by a small group of Dingle people for alleged favours granted to the town (Irish Examiner, August 20).

EVERY self-respecting democracy in the world operates under the rule of law.

NOW that Charles Haughey’s true pedigree has been officially established, would it be too much to ask his supporters in Dingle to replace their recent monument to this crook with a representation of the hard-pressed taxpayer — the actual source of their good fortune.

THE Taoiseach has answered all questions asked and held his hands up.

THE Progressive Democrats are coming under increasing pressure to apply their much lauded principles of integrity to Bertie’s spot of bother. This is unfair to the PDs as they abandoned such principles long ago.

ONCE again, the Dingle regatta organisers have chosen to insult compliant taxpayers by honouring Charles Haughey, the most notorious tax cheat in Irish history (Irish Examiner, August 21).

“BUT a debate? An actual exchange of views in which all sides of the argument are heard? Not a chance.”

YOUR columnist Rónán Mullen describes those who sell Mass cards outside the Church as scoundrels while defending the practice inside as merely ‘an offering for the good of the Church’ (Irish Examiner, January 4).

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell says people on the street knew that alleged IRA/Farc drug deals in South America were a threat to our national security.

IN his somewhat confusing column, Ryle Dwyer (Irish Examiner, December 3) says Irish people “shirked their responsibility to inform their own consciences and think for themselves” in relation to past abuses by the Catholic Church.

COULD the Government confirm that the latest intake of Garda recruits announced last week will demonstrate the same miraculous power as that possessed by the 2,000 promised before the last election - invisibility?

THE establishment of Forum for Opportunity, an elite club where political influence can be bought, the recommissioning of a military parade to celebrate the 1916 Rising ...

IN the UK, the chief constable of Cambridgeshire has resigned following allegations that he sexually harassed a woman official.

ONCE again the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority (IFSRA) has swooped mercilessly on an errant bank.

FIVE years into the 21st century and I'm still faced with the obscenity of a religiously inspired metal grill at the supermarket when I wish to purchase a bottle of wine on Good Friday.

THE people living in the Cork harbour area will be glad to accept the new prison planned for North County Dublin — if they take the incinerator.

THANK you for printing the fine letter from Liam Sheehan (Irish Examiner, December 8) replying to your columnist Peter Levy's offensive attack on religion (Irish Examiner County, November 23).

THE letter from Anthony Sheridan headlined ‘Bush may be anti-abortion, but he’s not pro-life’ (Irish Examiner, October 29) illustrates a curious turn of principle.

FOR some time now, Rónán Mullen has been writing articles in support of George Bush.

THE powerful American billionaire, Martha Stewart, was recently sentenced to five months’ imprisonment for lying to investigators about alleged insider trading in late 2001.

THE media frenzy at news of Charlie McCreevy’s move to Brussels was ridiculous.

WHEN a properly-run democracy contemplates a major change like electronic voting, certain steps are taken.

RIOTS, racist attacks, intimidation, drunkenness and public sex by two young teenagers in broad daylight— these were just some of the incidents reported by the public to RTE’s Liveline programme on the situation in Dublin on St Patrick's day.

SOME time ago the Government launched a new body to do the work that the Environmental Protection Agency is supposed to do.

BERTIE and Mary must be delighted now that the entire opposition is safely locked up in Mountjoy.

THE Government rejected our democratic decision after the Nice Referendum and assured European bureaucrats that the same treaty would be put before us again.