Madam, - Last year, many of us were aghast at the attacks on the entitlements of widows as part of the "savage 16" cuts introduced by the then Minister for Social Welfare, Mary Coughlan. This year it has come to light that the State has been systematically robbing pensioners in State care - a matter that appears to have come to light during the tenure of the last Minister for Health, Micheál Martin.
This Christmas we will need to be watchful that Santa Claus is not followed down the chimney by an agent of the State seeking to take the presents intended for the smallest members of the household - perhaps to be resold to cover the costs of Mr Martin Cullen's PR successes, such as electronic voting, Farmleigh House, Carrickmines, the hill of Tara and the Waterford Bypass. - Yours, etc.,
DANIEL SULLIVAN, (Fine Gael), Beaumont, Dublin 9.