Madam, - One wonders, after reading the article by Ibec's Turlough O' Sullivan in your edition of December 9th, who is living in the real world? His comments were very strong on economics and statistics, but very short on humanity.
He is quite correct to say that "the Irish economy is losing muscle and is gaining in fat": a large proportion of our poorer population has lost any muscle it had before the Celtic Tiger, while CEOs and financial managers continue to gain the fat.
If one message came clearly from the huge crowds who supported the Irish Ferries staff in last Friday's protest, it was this: that there is more to live for in Ireland than profit and greed.
Let foreign workers here be allowed to embrace all the good aspects of life on this island and experience not only fair wages for a fair day's work, but also the conditions that Irish employees fought to achieve over many years. They too are entitled to nothing less. - Yours, etc,
DEREK PEYTON, Delgany, Co Wicklow.
Madam, - I wonder how many of the protesters in last Friday's marches were wearing clothes made in the East by workers earning miserable wages rather than garments made in Ireland by workers on Irish rates of pay. - Yours, etc,
T.G.F. STONEY, Currabinny, Carrigaline, Co Cork.