Journalists

Letters to the Editor: 'Our total greed for consumer goods fans the flames of climate change' 

While the largest economies in the world, bar the US, come to some sort of agreement on global warming, should we as consumers take some responsibility for what's happening?

Letters to the Editor: 'Groucho knew the gift of reading would last long beyond Christmas' 

Groucho Marx, master of quick wit and caustic quip, said: "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend; inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

Letters to the Editor: 'Politics, pirates, bees and raccoons - book them in' 

There will be those who will gift a book for Christmas and here are some which drew my attention this year. They shine a light on a part of history or political events today and topics of scientific concern like saving the bees.

Letters to the Editor: 'UK must work with Irish friends to build a society fit for all, not the elite' 

On Tuesday (November 27), two letters were published by the Irish Independent on Brexit.

Letters to the Editor: 'Sporting triumph shows great things can happen when politics is forgotten' 

"Rugby supporters at the Aviva Stadium last Saturday night were somewhat taken aback when faced with some prominent DUP members holding a petition urging the Ulster players on the Irish team to switch allegiance to England (or failing that to Wales or even Scotland).

Letters to the Editor: 'Blessed are the peacemakers' 

Sir - Tomorrow evening, December 10, former UK Prime Minister Sir John Major will be giving the inaugural Albert Reynolds Memorial Lecture in Longford.

Despite negative opinions about civil servants, they’re the ones who keep the show on the road 

In his reply to me (Letters, Irish Independent, December 6), Richard Barton trots out the usual list of generalisations, bar-stool anecdotes and half-baked analyses of the type beloved of the commentariat.

Letters to the Editor: 'Evolving policies as well as strong local leadership can save our towns' 

The front page headline of your newspaper ('Death of the town', Irish Independent, November 30) makes for disturbing reading. The report goes on to say that small-town Ireland is facing a "perfect storm'' which has torn the heart out of life on our main streets. It further states that a lack of local leadership and permitting out-of-town retail developments means that many rural towns across the...

Letters to the Editors: 'Kyne should lobby for GP expenses instead of ministerial hotel bills' 

Open letter to Minister Seán Kyne

Letters to the Editor: 'We need decisive leadership to tackle climate change – time is running out' 

Climate breakdown is the single greatest existential threat to life on Earth since an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. The difference this time is that the asteroid is of our own making.

Letters: 'So-called progress is causing the death of our rural communities – but they can still be saved; 

I read with great interest your report ‘Stopping the rot: Small-town Ireland must fight to thrive’ (Irish Independent, November 30).

Letters to the Editor: 'Domestic violence must be tackled as priority before more lives are ruined' 

Domestic violence must be tackled in all its forms, because not only do you have a victim, primarily women, but where children witness this violence then they too become victims.

Letters to the Editor: 'Horses for courses as bets on politics end with a loss' 

Reading some election discussions in the newspapers, I found that you could bet on election results in most countries. I, however, am more familiar with betting on horses and wonder what comparisons could be made between these two betting types.

Letters to the Editor: 'Just the work of cowards' 

Sir — The Haunting Soldier sculpture, right, marking the end of World War I and honouring the memory of all the decent, honourable, brave and courageous young men, from every country in the world, who fought, died or were injured in it — fighting for peace with justice, freedom and democracy for Europe and the whole world — was meant for all of us to value what these great people achieved for us.

Letters to the Editor: 'Ireland has forgotten its history when it stands idly by while children starve to death in Yemen' 

In 1847, the Choctaw Indians donated $170 toward famine relief in Ireland.

Letters to the Editor: 'Working classes of Europe and UK will suffer most from Brexit impact' 

Michael Enright's letter (Irish Independent, November 21) suggests that if the Border was not an issue, the UK would be sent packing.

Letters to the Editor: 'Brexit vote was fatally flawed as public was not properly informed on what was at stake' 

"To be or not to be" - the Shakespearean Brexit saga is now in full swing with Theresa May, in an effort to please all of her flock, being at a critical crossroad. Not only is she accused in some quarters of having resorted to a half-cooked plan to leave the EU, or of not knowing what she wants, equally her dissenters do not know what they want.

Letters to the Editor: 'Typical of Brexiteers to attack deal without first finding out the detail' 

Unbelievable scenes erupted in Westminster on Tuesday evening with MP after MP lining up to speak with the BBC, denouncing the draft text between the EU and the UK as rendering the UK to a state of "vassalage".

Letters to the Editor: 'Populism on march across Europe may have arrived on our own shores' 

Across Europe, national populist parties and movements are sweeping through our democracies, reshaping them from below.

Letters to the Editor: 'In remembrance of our young men whose treatment was truly shameful' 

Our politicians now stand commemorating the 50,000 young men seduced to their deaths by John Redmond, the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, who presided over the worst slums in Europe in Dublin, and widespread unemployment, by the ineptitude in failing to make British governments fulfil their promises made in the Act of Union 1800 of ensuring the standard of living in Galway...

Letters to the Editor: 'The dead of the Great War should be enough to inspire peace on our island' 

At 11 o’clock on Sunday morning I attended solemn Eucharist at St Bartholomew’s Church in Dublin 4. I did so wearing for the only time this year a poppy.

Letters to the Editor: 'Europe needs to stand strong as US isolationism threatens our security' 

History is written by the victors, as the saying goes, and nowhere is this more true than in Europe's relationship with the US. Growing up in a Europe rebuilt by America after World War II, there has never been a lack of praise for the country and its people in history books, documentaries and TV shows.

Letters to the Editor: 'Confront HSE union scourge' 

Sir - We have all heard the stories about our failing health service, the lack of funds, the lack of beds, nurses and doctors, and too many managers.

Letters to the Editor: 'Mid-terms dealt a severe blow to Trump – he just doesn’t seem to understand that fact yet' 

I beg to differ from the analysis by Rob Crilly of the US mid-term elections ('President will take heart from results that offer him a populist path to winning second term', Irish Independent, November 8).

Letters to the Editor: EU is using Irish Border issue like a gun to the head to blackmail May 

Two Brexit years on now and very little achieved, the UK resembles a funambulist on a high-wire in the wind without a safety net below.

Letters to the Editor: 'A miracle of Catholic faith in 1916 - and why truth cannot be changed' 

Further to Michael Kelly's comments (Irish Independent, November 2) regarding Catholicism, President Higgins and 1916, the reason Daniel O'Connell refused to take the anti-Catholic oath was he believed part of it not to be the truth, and the rest to be false.

Letters to the Editor: I too refused to wear a poppy as it’s been hijacked for a political agenda 

I lived and worked in England for a number of years. I had a good job, good friends and a good life, but every November I felt the oppression of an obligation to wear the poppy.

Letters to the Editor: 'Labour needs to ask for forgiveness for the pain it pushed on to its voters' 

Reading your reports on the Labour Party conference, it was breathtaking to see that a major plank of its new manifesto is to create an Economic Equality Agency, which would try to "understand the causes of poverty and disadvantage".

Letters to the Editor: 'There is another world out there in our country, and it’s one that I salute' 

I'm on the 11 o'clock train, from Galway back to Dublin, on Sunday morning. I was there in September too. I hadn't been there since we were all sent to the Gaeltacht, bean an tí, etc, to come back with the Gaeilge.

Letters to the Editor: 'Repeating the mistakes of 2008' 

Sir - Consternation and worry generated by the announced departure of Angela Merkel is another stern warning of just how fragile and inadequate economic policy within the EU, and indeed the whole world, is. The impending danger does not arise from the departure of one person, but from an utter failure to recognise and adapt to a new economic capability which, let run wild, propels global economics into the most precarious situation ever experienced. Indeed, Mrs Merkel's departure with her unshakable fixation with "growth" economics may provide an opportunity for common sense...

Casey was the real winner in an election that was biased by media and disrespected by parties 

Now that the non-election presidential election and the absurd blasphemy referendum have passed, let us reflect on three important factors.

Letters to the Editor: 'We need politicians with vision and integrity to avoid mistakes of the past' 

Political leaders come and go, but unfortunately the decisions that they make affect this country for generations.

Letters to the Editor: 'Our experience of terrorism shows it’s crucial we have respect for others' 

The Global Terrorism Database stated that almost two-thirds of terrorist attacks in the US in 2017 were tied to right-wing extremism. This statistic, which was garnered from media information, leaves us in no doubt that extremism isn’t just confined to far eastern or Asian countries.

MMA and GAA's uncouth antics 

Sir - I agree with Joe Brolly writing in last week's Sunday Independent when he said that Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) should be banned.

Letters to the Editor: Blaming nuns over dead babies is the easy way out – while real culprits aren’t held to account 

This persecution of religious orders has gone too far. The nuns did not get the unmarried girls pregnant or give them TB, and it was not their duty to pay for burials of babies with names in early to mid-20th century Ireland's graveyards that might disgrace their mothers.

Blasphemy law may prompt signal of respect at a time when it is needed 

In one of his early essays on constitutional law, Donal Barrington addressed the relationship between Church and State in Irish law. He observed that the Constitution is infused with "intense veneration for almighty God", and remarked on how the clause on religion (Article 44) obliged the State to hold God's name in reverence and respect, and honour religion.

Zappone commands the moral high ground, unlike so many ministers 

It was surprising to hear Children's Minister Katherine Zappone say that she was doing what she was doing with regard to the Tuam babies scandal, because it was right.

Letters to the Editor: EU needs a trade deal with Britain and won't be denied by Border issues 

Britain is Germany's biggest car market. Approximately one out of every seven cars manufactured in Germany is sold in Britain. When the chips are down, Ireland would be very naive to think a lucrative market like Britain will be put in jeopardy because of rash promises regarding the Irish Border made at a time the EU was using every trick possible to dissuade Britain from leaving.

It should be no surprise that UK has no intention of honouring 'backstop' 

Why are we surprised at the failure of Britain to honour the 'backstop' for the Irish Border? In the words of Theodore Hoppen in his book 'Governing Hibernia', the Irish Border was described as 'Partition or squaring (some) circles'.

Amalgamation is GAA answer 

Sir - The GAA powers-that-be are to be heartily commended for moving so quickly to try and doctor the ills of Gaelic football. Nobody can accuse the GAA of being slow to change these days.

DUP and Foster are not success stories 

Sir - Eoghan Harris (Sunday Independent, October 7) claims that Peter Robinson and Ian Paisley were successful because they embraced change, so as to control the agenda. He's wrong.

A little of what you fancy... 

Sir - While agreeing we should be aware of the health risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption, the time-honoured view that everything is okay in moderation still strikes me as a reasonable approach to consuming foods or liquids that we enjoy.

The lady’s not for moving 

Sir - I could not start my tractor on Monday last week, having previously used it some days before to shift some silage bales. Was the battery flat, was the starter stuck, had I a flat tyre? The answer to all these questions was no, it was due to something entirely different.

Stamp out pension bias 

Sir - Help! Why are women still being discriminated against in 2018? I am one of Joan Burton's victims, as the changes made by the former social protection minister stop me qualifying for a full pension.

Trapped by inheritance tax 

Sir - Ireland has one of the highest death taxes in the world. Successive governments have reduced the tax-free threshold in respect of a gift inheritance, from a parent to a child from €542,000 in 2009 to €310,000 currently.

Magic of puppet masters 

Sir - The news that the Lambert Puppet Theatre is to close, though sad, stirred a few happy memories for me of childhood days watching Wanderly Wagon after getting home from school.

People of faith do not deserve ridicule 

Sir - Well done to Eilis O'Hanlon (Sunday Independent, August 26) for such a fair and balanced article in the midst of all the hysteria surrounding the Pope's visit to Ireland and to the Sunday Independent in general for providing balanced coverage of such a controversial event.

My church ought to choose reconciliation 

Sir - It's water under the bridge. I looked up the meaning of the word "misogyny" as referred to in your recent edition. I discovered that it means "the hatred of women". Now, whatever the faults of the Catholic Church, this is not one of them.

Solution to childcare issue 

Sir - Regarding the controversy relating to the so-called "granny grant", could I try and bring what I consider to be a level of practicality and common sense to this issue?

Climate world war started 

Sir - A study called 'Trajectories of the Earth system in the Anthropocene', published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, warns a hothouse Earth may, in coming decades and future centuries, threaten the "habitability of the planet for humans".

Courage of Martin O'Donoghue 

Sir - The late Martin O'Donoghue (Obituaries, Sunday Independent, July 29) was a member of the Justice Kenny-led commission on the price of building land. The late Bobby Molloy (then minister for local government in a Fianna Fail government) set this up in 1971.

Adams shows no concern for past 

Sir — Regarding Wayne O’Connor’s report on the attack on Gerry Adams’s Belfast home (Sunday Independent, July 15), how touching of Mr Adams to be concerned for his grandchildren’s welfare, and of Mary Lou McDonald’s concern for him and the threat to the peace process by “dissident” perpetrators.

Is Trump listening to voices of reason? 

Sir - Donald Trump's recent contentious remarks and subsequent retractions highlight a significant change in the American president's public disposition. Within the space of a few days, Trump's outspoken style can be seen to be curtailed by the reaction of popular opinion. This came to light first in his visit last weekend to the UK where outrage at his initial criticism of Prime Minister Theresa May's handling of Brexit saw him subsequently retract it and offer the view that her soft approach was ''fine with me''.

Pope deserves warm welcome from us all 

Sir - I disagree with Gordon Cunningham's scathing attack on the Pope's upcoming visit. (Letters, Sunday Independent, July 8). It's not often the Pope makes a trip to Ireland, so I think we should extend every courtesy to him.

Please think again, Ryanair 

Sir - It's a no-brainer to treat staff well. It makes economic sense! I presume Ryanair has made the calculations of the projected loss if the strike goes ahead on Thursday. It's not only the cost of rearranging people's flights - possibly €2m plus - but then on top of that the reluctance of all those customers ever to fly with Ryanair again.

Stop bashing Brexit Brits 

Sir - Declan Lynch is correct. (Sunday Independent, June 24). The English football team's adventures in Russia tell us a lot about Brexit. Indeed, the wonderfully entertaining World Cup jamboree unwittingly reveals lots about that thorny subject - just not what he thinks it does.

Line gives help to combat loneliness 

Sir - Following Alan O'Keeffe's article (Sunday Independent, June 17) and the recently published report by Dr Keith Swanick on loneliness in Ireland, I would like to tell you of a free service available to all older people that aims to lessen loneliness.

Don't be fooled by Sinn Fein hypocrites 

Sir - Eoghan Harris and others have questioned the advisability of the Leo Varadkar visit to the Orange Order and the Feile in west Belfast (Sunday Independent, June 10). While these issues are, of course, debatable, it may be appropriate to give those involved the benefit of being considered well-intentioned, if not wise.

True cost of €4bn bill for landlords 

Sir - I want to respond to Philip Ryan's article on government spending on housing supplements (Sunday Independent, June 3).

Abdicating responsibility 

Sir - The chronic need for the provision of public toilets in Dublin is an appalling indictment of past and present city councillors who like to project Dublin as a modern European capital city.

Catching the teaching bug 

Sir - I always detested the word retirement and have given it a wide, wide berth - way off over the dim horizon…

Life after the Leaving Cert 

Sir - May I join your excellent columnist, Dr Ciara Kelly (Living, Sunday Independent, May 13), in giving some advice to the many parents of children who will be sitting their Leaving Cert in the next week or so? I am well into my 60s and I still have nightmares about sitting mine.

Private stories that shouldn't be told 

Sir - It was 2013. I was sitting watching my one-year-old son playing, while I was having a miscarriage. This was day three. It was an early one, nothing very dramatic. I went to work the next day and the Early Pregnancy Unit the day after to check it was all gone, and that was it. It was a period with a few clots and a flush of the toilet. No funeral, no burial, I could've dreamt it. It was a sad experience, but manageable.

Nawtin wrong with talking proper on air 

Sir - Reading Gay Byrne's comments re 'news' being pronounced as 'nooze', etc, was a reminder that Gay was always an advocate of 'talking proper'.

Remember Donal's message 

Sir - With the inspirational and life-enhancing Darkness Into Light walk coming up, I think about suicide... about how it kills good people, kills hope, creates grief beyond words for those left behind.

Infertility aid would increase birth rate 

Sir - I would like to comment on Philip Ryan's article (Sunday Independent, April 15) about Minister Katherine Zappone's introduction of 'baby boxes' to all parents of newborn babies in our maternity hospitals.

Restrictions don't reduce abortion rate 

Sir - Restrictions to abortion do not reduce the rate of abortions. In other words, the Eighth Amendment has not saved any lives. The recent 'Abortion Worldwide 2017' study shows that abortion occurs as frequently in the two most restrictive regimes as the two least restrictive regimes.

Heroism shows how world must face evil 

Sir - Lieutenant Colonel Arnaud Beltrame has made the ultimate sacrifice representing the uniform which he wore with pride. In saving a life [in last month's jihadist attack in France] by forfeiting his own, he has saved many others by showing the whole world how to behave in the face of terror.

Money does not buy the best education 

Sir - I agree wholeheartedly with the majority of Eilis O'Hanlon's sentiments on the privilege of private schools and their questionable receipt of government money for such luxuries as the resurfacing of all-weather hockey pitches (Sunday Independent, March 25).

Raising a glass on Good Friday 

Sir - Pubs will open again on Good Friday after a 90-year-old ban on the sale of alcohol on that day was lifted. Removal of the ban was inevitable in an increasingly secular Ireland where Good Friday is a normal working day and where religious practice is now based on conviction rather than obligation.

Abortion is part of women's healthcare 

Sir - Cattle farmers have crisis pregnancies in their herds from time to time. If they decide that they do not want the pregnancy to continue, they call the vet. The vet might administer a drug such as Estrumate to abort the pregnancy.

Misguided papal misogyny 

Sir - I agree with Mary McAleese: it's high time that the walls of misogyny in the Catholic Church came tumbling down.

Well done for snow advice 

Sir - I wish to highly compliment and congratulate Met Eireann personnel, the National Emergency Co-ordination Committee, all our emergency services and media outlets for their excellent work, judgment and professionalism over the past few days in bringing us all the advice and details relating to the very serious snow storm.

Failing our most vulnerable 

Sir - Brendan O'Connor hit the nail on the head in his article "Listen to these 7,000 kids now, not when it's too late" (Sunday Independent, February 18).

Sinn Fein/IRA were a blight for 30 years 

Sir - As an opponent of Sinn Fein/IRA for the past 50 years, I cannot praise the Sunday Independent and its excellent journalists highly enough, in particular Willie Kealy and Brendan O'Connor, for their articles and indeed also the editorial last week (Sunday Independent, February 11).

Robin, the murdering hoodlum 

Sir - That's it! I've had enough of the tweets and spin from the members of the robin fan club. I could just about keep my beak shut after reading Joe Kennedy's 'Fearless robin a caring bird of courage' (Country Matters, Sunday Independent, January 21) but when Damien Boyd's 'Tales of the mighty robin' (Letter of the Week, Sunday Independent, January 28) joined in the dawn chorus, I had to take up my quill in order to prevent this growing media frenzy from taking flight. It seems as though they both have been enchanted by the twitter feed from the robin family and its groupies.

Church must ordain women 

Sir - This year has the potential to be an important year for Irish Catholics. The scheduled visit of Pope Francis provides an opportunity for us all to reflect on our roles within the Church, and indeed the position of the Church itself within Irish society.

Tales of the mighty robin 

Sir - Lovely to read the heart-warming tales of the mighty robin, our ubiquitous red-breasted garden bird, with a deserved reputation for calm and charming curiosity (Country Matters, Sunday Independent, January 21). This wonderful little fellow, a close cousin of the blackbird, gets amazingly close to us humans on a daily basis and, as such, we treat it as a special friend - any sighting is viewed as a sign of good luck and positivity for that day.

Lifting Good Friday booze ban helps to hollow out our country 

So the Good Friday alcohol ban is to be lifted. Cue great jubilation and party planning nationwide. For 91 years we have suffered and suffered greatly.

O'Brien lulling us into false sense of security on the economy 

I would like to reply to Dan O'Brien regarding his article about the present economic situation in which he said there is no evidence that technology eliminates jobs ('Ignore the doomsayers - there is little evidence of robots taking over our jobs', Irish Independent, January 18).

Women have power in the polling booths 

Sir - Dealing with gender inequality Eilis O'Hanlon (Sunday Independent, January 14) declared that "government should focus on real-life problems faced by real women".

If you ban sign of peace, then outlaw hand shake in GAA as well 

In the past few weeks, there have been different directives by bishops in Ireland in relation to the issue of some parishioners shaking hands as a 'sign of peace' at Mass during the serious outbreak of influenza.

Donal Barrington's legacy 

Sir - I thoroughly enjoyed Eoghan Harris's tribute to the late Donal Barrington (Sunday Independent, January 7). Mr Harris gives a riveting account of one particular aspect of Mr Barrington's career, namely the visionary role he played in highlighting the awfulness of the "ill-conceived and ill-considered" boycott of the tiny Protestant community in Fethard-on-Sea in 1957.

McElduff's insult to memory of innocent men is unforgivable 

As I lie here in bed in Letterkenny General Hospital reading the Irish Independent, it sickens me to the core when I look at the photograph of Sinn Féin MP Barry McElduff with a loaf of Kingsmill bread on his head.

Assessing Trump's health won't lead to a radical prescription 

The comments about US President Donald Trump's health, both physical and mental, are concerning. A lot of print space has been devoted to it and the possible ramifications, but little to the level of other reporting.

'Hospital bosses are completely out of touch,' writes man left waiting 11 hours in a wheelchair in stretched A and E 

In a recent blog posted on the Cork University Hospital (CUH) website, the CEO, Tony McNamara, suggests the INMO's figures of patients on trolleys are misleading and calls for a more "honest debate" on the issue. Mr McNamara says: "Many patients are appropriately on trolleys in assessment units in our hospitals awaiting a decision as to whether they need to be admitted or not."

We may have a health crisis - but there's still love with no limits 

It was a busy morning, about 8.30am, when an elderly man in his 80s arrived at the hospital to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9am.

Brexit is war, not a nervous breakdown 

Sir - Some of Colm McCarthy's statements (Sunday Independent, December 31) in relation to Brexit and the EU are open to challenge.

The machinations of a school bully played out on a global scale 

The definitive narrative in the Abrahamic faith traditions centres around the notion of salvation. The Christian and Jewish traditions, in particular, place great emphasis on the idea that salvation will emerge from the least likely quarters.

If 'yes' and 'no' are redundant, how are we to indicate consent? 

We have been informed that Children's Minister Katherine Zappone is in favour of introducing a course which includes sexual consent classes aimed at 16-year-olds in secondary schools (Irish Independent, December 30). Of course, it is inconceivable that the course would not lay heavy emphasis on the fact that the age of sexual consent in Ireland is 17 years.

Emotions of Christmas 

Sir - Brendan O'Connor (Sunday Independent, December 24) does the State and its citizens a truly worthy service by illuminating the authentic enduring Christian magic and emotional nuances of Christmas, as it was and how it should/could still be. Highlighting, with a compelling personal candour, his raft of seminal pre-Christmas experiences at various concerts and church services (including the stunning inspiration of a funeral with its powerful community essence and generosity of spirit abounding).

Fr Flannery is right - the Church is eroding its own authority 

Fr Tony Flannery (Irish Independent, December 23) is correct when he says of the Christmas story: "It is a beautiful story, but it is a mythical account of the birth of Jesus, not a historical one" and "for too long [the Church] presented the Christmas story as historical reality".

Giving people their dreams 

Sir - It is with a genuine lump in my throat and a tear in my eye that I think of all the children who will not have a home for Christmas.

Fake news makes writing and reasoning more vital than ever 

The art of letter writing is apparently a dying one, although it should be one that is encouraged, especially in this era of fake news and opinion sent out by some tweeting twits and the (un)social media that so wastefully occupies the time of our youth, and too many other citizens.

Good to revel in EU support this time 

Sir - Jody Corcoran states (Sunday Independent, December 10) that: "Ireland was used by the European Union, though, to flush out the UK position somewhat, which has been exposed to be as threadbare as most experts have always felt it to be."

Ireland will have no other option but to join an EU army 

It was refreshing to read Ray Kinsella on why Ireland should play no part in an EU army (Irish Independent, December 15).

Give what you can this Christmas, it'll turn a frown into a smile 

What does Christmas mean in Ireland today? It means a lot of different things to a lot of different people in an increasingly multicultural and less Godly society.

Scepticism on allegations 

Sir - In Eilis O'Hanlon's good and well-balanced article (Sunday Independent, December 3) regarding the findings of Mr Justice Charleton's interim report relating to Garda Keith Harrison, she rightly points out that Mr Justice Charleton dismissed all the allegations, concluding that: "All of the allegations of Garda Keith Harrison and Marisa Simms examined by the tribunal are entirely without any validity."

How to solve the current Brexit turmoil in four simple steps 

After the recent turmoil within the Brexit process, it is appropriate that we be reminded of the milestones and highlights which took us to where we are today, and that we also take a look at possible future scenarios.

While bosses are paid €130,000, charities won't get my refund 

I view with reservation the call from a number of charities to consider donating some, if not all, of the water charges refund money to a worthy cause.

Tom and the joy of reading 

Sir — As an avid reader, I thoroughly enjoyed Tom McCaughren’s beautiful article about books (Sunday Independent, November 26). I appreciate that social media is now all pervasive, but it’s hard to beat the satisfaction of reading a captivating book. Between the covers of a book, readers of all ages are exposed to adventure, excitement, anticipation, knowledge and information. Regular reading stirs the imagination, arouses curiosity and inspires creativity. With a book in your hand you’re in good company.

Politicians care about their own positions, not the real issues 

It would appear that the only thing Irish politicians are good at is fighting elections - it's after they have been elected that they fail miserably.

Fiasco was started in UK 

Sir - Brendan O'Connor's article (Sunday Independent, November 17) has scored a goal, or should I say, a try, in this post-soccer era, by reminding those of us who read the Sunday Independent, but not that 'rag of rags' the UK edition of The Sun, that it had the effrontery to call our Taoiseach, a 'Brexit Buffoon' who should 'shut his gob on Brexit and grow up'.

No apologies for our stance to those who caused Brexit chaos 

The vote for Brexit by the UK electorate is turning out to be a very significant historical occurrence in UK, European and especially Irish terms.

We may have lost out, but World Cup bid was great collaboration 

The understandable disappointment of failing to win the right to host RWC 2023 runs the risk of overlooking a very important fact.