Place: Leinster House Kildare Street Dublin 2

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

columnists

Fianna Fáil will not be entering coalition with SF

I refer to the article in the Irish Examiner by Gerard Howlin on December 16 last in relation to the upcoming general election and voter’s risk-averse continuity.

TDs v British MPs ... a ‘superficial comparison’ of costs and conditions

Thalidomide: an old wound still festers

Gamblers should not have bailout priority

Varadkar: I’m neither sexist nor ignorant

Will one famous son follow another into the dock?

‘No contest’ between arguments of both sides

The Progressive Democrats haves always applauded people who work hard and achieve success.

Wed, 11 Jun, 2008

No provision for veto on agriculture issues

IFA Munster vice-president Seán O’Leary (Letters, May 29) appears to accept that Ireland will retain its veto on a world trade deal post-Lisbon.

Wed, 04 Jun, 2008

Marine industry needs one voice in the Cabinet

I WOULD like to express my grave concern at the Taoiseach’s failure to designate a full cabinet post for the marine industry.

Sat, 17 May, 2008

Merkel listens to smaller voices on EU stage

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Dublin last Monday brought predictable criticism that she is somehow “interfering” in our affairs.

Sat, 19 Apr, 2008

Deputy defends the indefensible

DEPUTY John Cregan’s partisan letter (March 1) attacking RTÉ for its coverage of the Mahon Tribunal is a flagrant abuse of his position as chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, and it represents neither Fine Gael members of that committee nor “the Irish taxpayer and the licence-paying public”, as it claims.

Fri, 07 Mar, 2008

Military and economic sovereignty are not threatened by referendum

I HAVE followed the lively debate on the EU Reform Treaty in your letters page. As Government spokesperson on European affairs in the Seanad and a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs, I take a particular interest in the debate.

Thu, 06 Mar, 2008

Is RTÉ reporting the tribunal or building a gallows?

RTÉ’s obsession with the Mahon Tribunal is an issue of extreme concern to me and many of my fellow-members of the Oireachtas.

Sat, 01 Mar, 2008

Builders should be compelled to provide school sites

THE Dublin Catholic archdiocese has decided to pilot a new admissions policy in two schools in the Porterstown parish in my Dublin West constituency.

Mon, 04 Feb, 2008

Kenny’s comments fit dictionary definition

I WAS puzzled to read in the Irish Examiner of January 17 advice from a Fine Gael spokesperson suggesting that I consult a dictionary in relation to my comments that Enda Kenny’s ill-timed criticisms of the Taoiseach were akin to an “act of treason”.

Sat, 26 Jan, 2008

FG criticism of Shannon move has no credibility

I FEEL I must respond to Fine Gael TD Michael Ring’s comments (Morning Ireland, August 14) in relation to Aer Lingus’s decision to cut its Shannon-Heathrow route.

Mon, 20 Aug, 2007

Election nightmare

I WISH to alert voters to a lamentable situation that has arisen in the Dublin University constituency for the Seanad.

Tue, 17 Jul, 2007

Green Party should learn from Labour’s mistakes

I HOPE, not least for their own sake, that the Green Party will ignore your columnist Fergus Finlay’s advice (June 19) based on a dictum of Noel Browne that “the moment you enter a coalition, you must start thinking about how to bring it down”.

Sat, 23 Jun, 2007

Compulsory retirement should be scrapped

I WISH to draw attention to the utter heartbreak experienced by thousands of fit and healthy people who wish to continue working after 65.

Sat, 27 Jan, 2007

FF/SF coalition? Bertie says no, no, no

ENDA KENNY fails to understand that no means no.

Thu, 21 Sep, 2006

Bus policy will benefit taxpayer and consumer

DEPUTY Seán Crowe’s letter (Irish Examiner, August 31) begins by correctly identifying the central issue in the recent bus controversy — provision of investment in new buses and services. Unfortunately, from that point on, logic deserts him.

Tue, 05 Sep, 2006

No ideological hang-ups in PDs’ transport policy

PAUL KINSELLA (Irish Examiner letters, August 15) inaccurately reflects the Progressive Democrats’ attitude to public transport with his incorrect reference to what he claims is Mary Harney’s “ideological block” on new buses.

Wed, 23 Aug, 2006

Sugar factory should be reopened and used for biofuel production

IT seems there is a growing body of opinion in favour of converting the Mallow sugar factory to the processing of sugar beet for the production of bio-ethanol.

Tue, 15 Aug, 2006

Sugar compensation share-out is a disgrace

THE decision to give Greencore the bulk of the sugar industry compensation fund was a disgrace. Indeed it becomes even more shameful when one bears in mind other aspects of the sorry affair.

Fri, 21 Jul, 2006

Why promote beef from South America?

I WAS appalled to hear that South American beef was championed during a cookery item on a RTÉ television programme aired recently

Wed, 22 Feb, 2006

5% corporation tax rise would not hit our competitiveness

IN his letter attacking Sinn Féin’s policy on corporation tax (Irish Examiner, January 20), Deputy Pat Carey does a less than eloquent job of defending the status quo.

Thu, 26 Jan, 2006

SF’s corporation tax policy a threat to economy

SINN Féin’s economic policy review (Irish Examiner, January 13) gives a stark indication that it is still committed to an approach that would seriously jeopardise our economic achievements.

Fri, 20 Jan, 2006

Record welfare spend to combat poverty

FURTHER to your article headlined ‘Almost 20% at risk of poverty’ (Irish Examiner, December 13), the EU survey on income and living conditions in Ireland (EU-SILC) for 2004 found that between 2001 and 2005 spending on social welfare alone increased from €7.8 billion to €12.5 billion.

Tue, 27 Dec, 2005

We believe Northern MPs should be entitled to address the Dáil

YOUR columnist Noel Whelan’s dismissive attitude in relation to Northern representation in the Dáil underlines a curious reality that is emerging from among prominent members of the political establishment in the 26-Counties in recent times (Irish Examiner, October 6).

Tue, 18 Oct, 2005