I am impressed with Pope Francis’s courage and conviction. He has spoken out about things that are close to my heart. He is leading by example, living as simple a life as possible.

I can’t help wondering, will a garda be present in all pubs to issue a permit to drive — (motion passed in Kerry Council).

I KNOW.

REGARDING the “infamous” golf outing and subsequent dinner, who picked up the tab?

SO FG deputy Jim O’Keeffe’s son Michael “wouldn’t be ready to take over from him just yet” (Irish Examiner, November 15).

WHY do we taxpayers have to call on ex-ministers like Máire Geoghegan-Quinn to relinquish their state pensions while earning large sums of money elsewhere?

UNTIL quite recently, Ryanair boarding passes included not just the name of the person boarding, but his or her passport number.

SO Transport Minister Noel Dempsey has no “no pot of gold” to repair our cratered roads. Well, I hope he is aware taxpayers’ money is not his money.

I PAY my RTÉ licence fee, so I feel I have a right to start a campaign to bring back Tom MacSweeney (Irish Examiner, January 21).

I FIND people like Greta Kelly (Letters, March 16) are just not funny when they try to make fun of George Lee.

WHAT will poor George Lee do when the economy starts to improve?

WE were told recently, after another tragic weekend of road deaths, that driver misbehaviour — speed, alcohol, etc — is the primary cause of accidents. Another reason, I believe, is bad or non-existent road signage.

MUNSTER’S own Cara O’ Sullivan is to sing ‘Stand Up and Fight’ at half-time in the Heineken European Cup final in Cardiff today.

I HAVE a terrible confession to make: I eat muesli and, dare I admit it, sometimes I even mix my own! I also own up to wearing Birkenstock sandals.

YOU quote the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law reform, Micheal McDowell, talking about the Wayne O'Donoghue case (Irish Examiner, January 27) as follows: “There were often legal complications in cases which the public does not understand and were not easy to explain.”

NOW isn’t that just great news. Ireland, and Dublin in particular, is getting a transport system fit for the 21st century. This will include a new city centre rail station opening in 2009. Wow! Oh, sorry, no, not in Cork, but in Dublin!

I CAN’T let this Environmental Awareness Week pass without complimenting Cork County Council on their state-of-the-art waste and recycling centre in Clonakilty.

THE staff at my local AIB branch are hardworking and friendly – but not even they can offset the shortcomings of the bank’s board of management.