ENVIRONMENT Minster John Gormley stood beside Taoiseach Brian Cowen during the four-year austerity plan press conference last Wednesday and proudly announced the doubling of Ireland’s carbon taxes (as part of the Green party contribution to that plan).

HAS anyone noticed lately that the notes being issued by Irish banks mostly seem to come from Germany?

ACCORDING to Tánaiste and Enterprise Minister Mary Coughlan, “Government policies” led to an abundance of job creation in Ireland (speech, June 4, 2004) during the so-called Celtic Tiger period while “external factors” led to jobs being lost in our economy.

REGARDING the lack of funding available to local authorities for gritting of roads during this extended icy spell, I suggest the Government allocate some of the monies it is collecting from the so-called carbon taxes in the recent budget to such a purpose while we await global warming to kick in.

I AM appalled at the poor quality of your coverage of the debacle at the new Cork University Maternity Hospital.