Sir, – "European Commission President José Manuel Barroso is due to visit Lampedusa tomorrow to discuss joint action on the refugee crisis following calls from Italian politicians for more help from the European Union" Breaking News, October 8th).
Given the "Bleak, overcrowded and unhygienic" conditions, reported by Carl O'Brien in our direct provision system (Front page, October 8th), we will hardly be expecting the land that gave the English language the term "coffin ships" to recognise this as anything resembling Ireland's call to take anything other than a gombeen's place, with its customary Nelsonian eye, "among the nations of the world".
Decade of commemorations? – Yours, etc,
DAMIEN FLINTER,
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Castleview Estate,
Headford, Co Galway.