AS a member of Fine Gael I was surprised to read that three Fine Gael MEPs have never spoken in Irish in the EU parliament in 2007 and that one has only spoken one sentence there (Irish Examiner, January 21).

I HAVE some sympathy for the predicament of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Eamon Ó Cuív in relation to redrawing Gaeltacht boundaries.

I WAS disgusted to see the new bus adverts sponsored by MEAS, an organisation backed by the drinks companies. Many people might be led to believe that drinkaware.ie ads are paid for by the Government.

I DO not know why most Irish language organisations are up in arms over the decision by Education Minister Mary Hanafin to end total immersion in Irish in our gaelscoileanna.

I WATCHED the TV debate about Irish being used in the Northern Assembly (BBC 1, October 9).

THE announcement that Fianna Fáil is to consider the possibility of becoming an all-island party is to be welcomed. Northern Ireland is a small place and nationalists should be able to vote for several all-island parties.

LAST year Fine Gael called for the official Irish language movement to be audited.

IT is sad that many Unionists see Irish language legislation for the North solely as a Sinn Féin project.

I WAS delighted to see that the Green Party now has a bilingual website, as do Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin — and even the Communist Party.

ACCORDING to a leaked report, the Irish language will no longer be the primary language of Gaeltacht regions within 20 years.

FEW people have an interest in the origin and meaning of the country’s placenames. Indeed, I’m sure most are unaware that the vast majority of our placenames predate the Viking, Norman and English invasions.

I WAS disgusted when I read the article about the previously agreed all-Irish teacher training centre in Ballyvourney in Co Cork (Irish Examiner, January 10).

THE Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has pointed out that animal cruelty cases have risen by nearly one-third in the last year.

I WISH to express my disappointment with Conradh na Gaeilge’s approach to the Irish language.

AS an Irish language activist, I would like to point out some ironies in the debate about Irish being a required subject for the Leaving Certificate.

IN answer to Beth Sherrard (‘Lost in Translation,’ Irish Examiner letters, June 23), I wrote my letter in English (‘Hold the front page for little more Irish,’, June 17) because I felt it had a greater chance of being published.