Sunday 26 May 2013
• By any standards our politicians are well paid. On top of this they are entitled to generous expenses.
How can those expenses be justified in the current economic climate?
If they earned the average industrial wage one could understand a certain amount of expenses. Before the Government contemplates cuts to vulnerable people they should address this as a matter of urgency.
Mary O'Gara
Castlerea, Co Roscommon
Irish Independent
* Driving through Connemara, I could not help but observe again the landscape, that is scarred, even seemingly in the most inhospitable and inaccessible places, by the long-abandoned markings of potato allotments that were the only giver of life and harbinger of death should they yield or fail in their cultivation.
* I find it hard to understand why we entered a singer for the Eurovision noise and banality competition when we had the more relevant expertise of Jedward available.
* Sir, I want to congratulate Seamus Coffey on his article on austerity (Irish Independent, May 21).
* Driving through Connemara, I could not help but observe again the landscape, that is scarred, even seemingly in the most inhospitable and inaccessible places, by the long-abandoned markings of potato allotments that were the only giver of life and harbinger of death should they yield or fail in their cultivation.
* I find it hard to understand why we entered a singer for the Eurovision noise and banality competition when we had the more relevant expertise of Jedward available.
* Sir, I want to congratulate Seamus Coffey on his article on austerity (Irish Independent, May 21).
THE iconic, flame-haired dancer, who moved her long limbs at the speed of lightning as she quick-stepped across the Eurovision stage to the beat of traditional music, feels a world apart today from the person she was back then.
Veteran director Roman Polanski says the birth control pill has had a "masculinising" effect on women and that the levelling of the sexes is "idiotic", in comments made at the Cannes Film Festival.
Investigators are looking into claims made by actress Amanda Bynes that New York Police Department officers sexually assaulted her when she was charged after allegedly throwing a marijuana bong out of the window of her 36th-floor Manhattan apartment.
Kevin Jonas has confessed he's pleased to be able to watch back arguments with his wife Danielle Deleasa on their reality TV series Married To Jonas.
Michael Shannon has confessed he still can't believe he will be in a Superman film.
US rock band Stone Temple Pilots have accused former frontman Scott Weiland of misusing the group's name to further his solo career.
The book that
After spending years restoring his 900-acre estate in Tuscany, the pop star Sting pictured, is to throw open its doors – at a price – to anyone who wants to hire it for weddings or parties.
Mel Giedroyc has revealed that she once kissed Dermot O'Leary at a work party.
Phillip Schofield has admitted he is not in touch with former This Morning co-host Fern Britton any more.
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