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President Higgins and economics

Sir, – President Michael D Higgins is right to challenge the obsession with economic growth. Insisting on a narrowly defined GDP growth in the context of a worsening climate chaos is like insisting on the Titanic keeping its direction and speed even when knowing that a fatal iceberg is ahead. Yours, etc, MARTIN SOKOL, Department of Geography, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2.

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Responding to the energy crisis

Sir, – If energy prices keep going in this direction, I suspect it will be a long time before we again read the words “electric” and “picnic” in the same sentence. Yours, etc, SIMON BLAKE, Munich, Germany.

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The National Maternity Hospital

Sir, – Please extend my congratulations to Fintan O’Toole for “ A real republic should not have charity delivering public welfare ”, Opinion & Analysis, June 22nd). Powerful. All the points that needed to be made. Let’s hope the other media platforms follow suit. Yours, etc, GERI SLEVIN, Gaillimh.

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Stop the clock

Sir, – The longest day of the year has come and gone but in these pandemic times, it feels like Christmas was but a few weeks ago. We can clearly conclude that time flies, whether we are having fun or not. Yours, etc, FRANK BYRNE, Glasnevin, Dublin 9.

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Unionism in turmoil

Sir, – Brendan Behan was right when he said that the first item on an Irish agenda is the split. Yours, etc, TONY CORCORAN, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.

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Varadkar and unification

Sir, – Why the concern about Leo Varadkar’s belief that the unification of our island “can happen in my lifetime”? The youthful Tánaiste is likely to be around for another half century. Yours, etc, Dr JOHN DOHERTY, Gaoth Dobhair, Co Dhún na nGall.

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All Wight on the night

Sir, – The remote, wave-battered, edge-of-the-world setting for Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse is the Isle of Skye, not the Isle of Wight (“ Marina Carr takes a gamble and wins ”, June 12th). Yours, etc, DAVID DENBY, Glasnevin, Dublin 9.

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That shrinking feeling

Sir, – Amazingly, all my shirts have shrunk, particularly around the tummy area. Buttons will not close. It must be due to the extra central heating being on over months of enforced sitting at home watching television. Yours, etc, ED ROGERS, Rosslare Strand, Wexford.

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Polling and politics

Sir, – Good luck with anyone ever trusting a polling company in the future. Yours, etc, HELEN NOONAN, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.

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Exam weather

Sir, – I wonder if it would be possible to hold the Leaving Cert exams in January. There is generally a heatwave when the exams take place, and 25 degrees in January would be most welcome. Yours, etc, DAVID DORAN, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow.

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Flight of fancy

Sir, – I enjoyed Mary O’Rourke’s tribute to Seán Lemass in her Irishwoman’s Diary ( June 7th ). But surely a James Joyce, Seamus Heaney or Sean O’Casey Airport would have greater international appeal. Yours, etc, MAURICE NEILL, Bangor, Co Down.

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Renaming Dublin Airport

Sir, – I like Mary O’Rourke’s idea of renaming Dublin Airport “Lemass Airport” ( An Irishwoman’s Diary, June 7th ). It does leave open the possibility when foreign travel becomes the norm again of people leaving “en masse” from Lemass. Yours, etc, STEPHEN O’HARA, Carrowmore, Sligo.

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Staycation costs

Sir, – Perhaps more people would holiday in Ireland if the prices for accommodation were not so expensive. Yours, etc, NIALL P HOGAN, Blackrock, Co Dublin.

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Public conveniences

Sir, – The Jacks are back! Yours, etc, DAVE O’SULLIVAN, Athgarvan, Co Kildare.

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Litter and rubbish

A chara, – Dublin City Council believes that providing litter bins encourages littering. But it assured us that a waste incinerator wouldn’t encourage waste generation! Hmmm. Yours, etc, BRENDAN RYAN, Montenotte, Cork.

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An outdoor summer?

Sir, – Who would have thought that easing restrictions would lead people to think that restrictions were being eased. Yours, etc, EUGENE TANNAM, Firhouse, Dublin 24.

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Extension of emergency powers

A chara, – The Tánaiste says pandemic supports will begin to be withdrawn in October. But the Minister for Health says our draconian emergency powers will remain until February 2022. Why? Yours, etc, BRENDAN RYAN, Montenotte, Cork.