Madam, - Minister for Education Mary Hanafin is to be lauded for her comment that buying expensive presents for one's children is no substitute for spending quality time with them (The Irish Times, April 18th). But the fact that so many parents find so little time to spend with their children is largely the result of her Government's policies and failures.
The cosy relationship between her Government, builders and land speculators, which has driven up house prices; bad planning; the failure to develop adequate public transport - all these have brought about a situation where parents have to spend excessively long hours at work and/or commuting over long distances.
- Yours, etc,
CHRISTOPHER HONE, Dublin 22.