Paul Doran asks why prayers are still said in state schools, and he makes a claim for a secular society. The reason is that Ireland is a sovereign republic.

Why are State schools still saying prayers at the beginning of each day? In a secular society, this should be prohibited, considering the huge ethnic changes in population over the last 20 years.

The Maternity Leave Directive, which was adopted by the European parliament in 2010, has been withdrawn entirely by the European Commission in a move made behind closed doors on July 15 in Brussels.

When speaking on the Marian Finucane show, Sinn Féin TD Mary Lou McDonald was asked a direct question by the host, as to whether she would approve of job cuts in the ranks of healthcare "middle management" so as to lower the current ratio of three admin staff to every one member of frontline services.

ROY’S REWARD — ENGLAND STILL ON COURSE FOR 2022

In the midst of the various changes taking place in the Junior Cert, (it is proposed that teachers mark their own students exams) may I identify a particular change which has not received much attention — the role of the State Examination Board and students who have obtained results in the top 2%-5%.

I, like many thousands, took part in the “La Mór na Gaeilge” rally recently and the majority of the protesters were young people, particularly students of Gaelcholáistí. A large number of participants came from all parts of Ireland.

The recent visit of An Taoiseach to Saudi Arabia is an affront to anyone who has regard for basic human rights, for democracy, and for the independence of sovereign nations in conducting their own affairs.

The sad passing of Madiba is all part of life and he will be remembered by everyone who seeks justice and fair play. Mr Mandela was first and foremost a revolutionary despised by so many for so long, especially our close neighbour.

By all accounts Fr Alex Reid was a decent human being and represented his church as it should be represented.

How much longer can we, the plain people, put up with continued attacks on equality in Ireland?

Regarding Paul Doran’s letter (Jul 5), about his visit to Tom Crean’s grave in Annascaul.

Recently I paid a visit to the graveyard of an icon of the 21st century, Tom Crean, the famous Antarctica explorer, in Ballynacourty near Annascaul in Co Kerry.

Too many of us think that our children are safe in schools. More than 35 years ago, a teacher hit me. I hit him back. He never did it again.

The ongoing US media attempts to go to war in Syria have been stepped up in recent weeks with claims that the Syrian government has been using chemical weapons, something we have all heard before over decades of US imperialism and its ongoing love affair with war and all things military.

The remarks by the president are needed because there are so many people in Ireland, and in the EU as a whole, who feel angry and let down by their political masters, including Labour.

I see Paul Doran (Letters, April 10) has fallen for the myth that Margaret Thatcher was responsible for withdrawing free milk in schools while she was education secretary.

The death of Margaret Thatcher was a reminder of how I first became politicised at the tender age of seven years back in 1970.

Does the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, TD, regret the comments he made on The Weeks in Politics TV show last December.

It was with much sadness that I learnt of the death of the President of Venezuela, a man whom put himself forward to the people 14 times.

It was interesting news that Pope Benedict VXI has resigned, as he was someone who spoke and wrote a lot about conscience and it was on that basis that I looked into my own conscience and felt I could no longer be a member of the Catholic Faith, due to all the recent scandals and lies and deceit.

The father of a man who died in a car crash on Friday broke down as he paid tribute to his son, who was hoping to start college shortly.

Many letters will be written about the promissory note, but I would like to discuss it from a different angle.

Father Michael Cusack’s comments at the funeral of Detective Garda Donohoe were a stark reminder to all of us of the anger that is out there in relation to crime and how the vulnerable in our society feel at being isolated and, more importantly, how these thugs are getting away with their crimes.

Article 6.a of the Constitution states: “all powers of government, legislative, executive and judicial, derive, under God, from the people, whose right it is to designate the rulers of the State and, in the final appeal, to decide all questions of national policy, according to the requirements of the common good.”

I will be voting no in the upcoming children’s referendum and the reason is quite simple.

Anthony Leavy’s reply to Jim Roche’s complaint, was a most bizarre defence of allowing US military vessels into Irish ports. Mr Leavy says we owe our freedom to the likes of the US Government who “took on fascism and communism”.

I refer to the remarks from Cardinal Brady in relation to the possible legislation by the Government and, in a ironic twist, the Sunday reading from the Church was “An extract from a letter from Saint Paul to Ephesians 5:21-32” and I quote: “Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord…”, “.. And as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything.”

The announcement of a significant oil find in the Barryroe field off the Cork coast, along with many other discoveries of oil, gas, and precious metals, emphasises once again the case for these and all natural resources to be under democratic people’s control and developed in a sustainable way.

Yet again the Irish Government has managed to cause shame and embarrassment to our country by the antics of its Minister for Health James Reilly.

So the people have spoken, or have they?

The recent figures for retail sales in Apr show a decline of 1.5% compared to Mar 2012 and an annual decrease of 2.7%.

I went along to the Barry Manilow concert that was held at the O2 on Wednesday night in what was a Christmas present for two at a substantial cost, and we were so disappointed that we left after one hour.

We now have had the Dirt, Moriarty and now Mahon Tribunal/enquiries to name but a few.

The Football Association of Ireland should be made to review the awarding of the fitting out of suits and clotheswear for the European Championship this summer to a UK company in the face of huge unemployment among first-class retailers in Ireland.

Former Minister Ó Cuív has now decided to leave his position on the Fianna Fáil frontbench due to his differences with the leader of his party on the proposed Fiscal Treaty referendum.

THE budget will be soon upon us and one of the more progressive ideas I have seen put forward is the sugar tax.

THE ongoing controversy in the Priory Hall development again highlights to us all the very bad lack of regulation in the building sector.

FOR many months after the 2008 crisis and then before the last election, we heard many different commentators talk about the unfairness of the upward rent reviews.

LAST Sunday week I went along to the 9/11 Photo exhibition which was shown at Collins Barracks Dublin.

THERE has been much nonsense written about the speech that the Taoiseach made regarding the role of the Church and the Vatican. It was a speech that needed to be made, but the unfortunate thing was that Mr Kenny had ample opportunity to make it over the last 30 years— and didn’t.

THE present trial of the former general Ratko Mladic has already shown how the authorities must have known where this man was kept while on “the run” in Serbia.

YET again we are being told by a different government minister that we are going to have first-class broadband roll out.