Government jet’s €1m bill shouldn’t bother us
IS IT really such a bad thing that use of the Government jet cost the taxpayer more than €1m last year (MoS, February 17)?
After all, we are going through a particularly difficult time with the approach of Brexit. This is bound to require a lot of extra international diplomacy.
And do we really want the Taoiseach to be taking commercial flights everywhere, perhaps with lengthy stop-overs en route, to save comparatively trivial sums?
Michaela Duffy, Dublin 18.
Flying the flag
AFTER reading the letter arguing that the national flag should not be flown on St Patrick’s Day (MoS letters, February 17), I am hoping the author is writing in jest.
St Patrick’s Day is a celebration of all things Irish, this day is celebrated in every corner of the world where our tricolour flag is displayed proudly.
Does your correspondent even know that the orange of our tricolor is in respect to Orange men in Northern Ireland, green for Ireland and white for peace? Our flag represents unity.
Brianán McBride, Dundalk.
Hospice scandal
I WAS shocked by your frontpage story of a €250,000 house sold by a charity for €37,000.
It seems that scandals involving Irish charities are never-ending and that those in charge do whatever they feel like.
I would love to see a complete culture change in our charities but I’m not holding my breath.
James Shields, Mallow, Co. Cork.
Pray for progress
I SUPPOSE it’s good to see the Catholic Church embrace modernism and trial ‘tap-and-go’ payment machines to boost donations. That it appears only be for the collection of money, though, is worrying.
True they need money to live, but it sometimes appears that it was the grab for wealth and power that created the monster that the Irish version of the Church became. Too much power made them arrogant and gave them the impression they were beyond the law. That, in turn, made them protective of that power, leading to covering up abuse. Perhaps 2019 Roman Catholicism is learning from its mistakes. We’ll see.
Meanwhile, while embracing the modernism that is technology, how about embracing the ‘modernism’ of equality and allow women to become priests?
It could allow for married priests too.
John Colgan, Fairview, Dublin 3.
Poppy pride
IT WAS a very welcome surprise to see Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney recently wearing Irish poppy badges in remembrance of those who served in the British Army in the First World War.
However, the unelected leaders of 1916 would not approve as they regarded the imperial Germany army as their gallant allies. This was in spite of the fact that in 1914 the Germany forces committed many atrocities in Belgium on the civilian population there.
Regarding the Second World War, I grew up with many wonderful Jewish people who would I have no doubt have been deported by an Irish quisling government to die in gas chambers were it not for the UK’s stand against fascism.
So for many years I have worn my poppy with pride. Tony Moriarty, Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6w
Alienating the UK
THERE appears to be copperfastened guarantees coming from Simon Coveney, that in the event of a no-deal Brexit the EU will compensate Éire, especially the farmers, when there is a dramatic drop in exports to Britain.
We can but hope it stays fine for him in those stormy times ahead.
Believing the EU now that we are no longer of any further value to Brussels is folly.
Why should the UK continue to import our cattle, or even a head of cabbage from this tiny place when we have treated Westminster with utter disdain at the behest of a failing EU?
Of course Britain will look towards other markets like Brazil where better deals are awaiting. The only losers in any ‘economic war’ with the UK will be the sycophantic Irish in our brainless Government kowtowing to Berlin and Brussels.
We in Éire will be sorry to a major degree for treating Britain as ‘the old enemy’. Robert Sullivan, Bantry, Co. Cork.