Look after us all at home instead of jetting to Egypt

When last in opposition, Fine Gael withdrew pairing arrangements in the Dáil with the then coalition government, a move that threatened to disrupt a trip to the US by the tánaiste which was organised by Enterprise Ireland.

Former Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, incensed at the proliferation of political junkets, said Fine Gael would not tolerate a situation where ministers were given discretionary powers to travel all over the world.

Your report about eight TDs on a taxpayer-funded five-star-trip to Egypt (MoS, October 1) once again highlights the hypocrisy of politics in this country, which heaps shame on our parliament.

Whatever fields of expertise these TDs possess which made them so sought-after worldwide, perhaps they might apply it to the chronic situations on homelessness and healthcare here in Ireland on behalf of those who elected them. Tom Cooper, Templeogue, Dublin 6W.

…Eight TDs, a five-star trip to Egypt and a bill of €15,000 for the taxpayer (MoS, October 1). While there, they raised the plight of imprisoned Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa.

Halawa went to Egypt to take part in demonstrations, was arrested and jailed. His own doing. These TDs jumped on the bandwagon with an all-expensespaid trip to Egypt.

These same TDs ignore the plight of homeless children and the homeless people dying on our streets.

Why? Because they will not get the same publicity as they would by going to Egypt.

One only has to look at the housing problem here as an example of how badly this Government has handled things over the years.

All the skilled workers have been driven out of the country and they have settled abroad and do not want to come back to this broken down country of ours. David Burke, Gorey, Co. Wexford.