I REFER to the picture on page 8 (News, 14 January). I noticed, unsurprisingly, that the SUV is parked on double yellow lines. It just about sums up the arrogant attitude of today's urban SUV drivers: "I have an SUV, I can park where I like." One wonders why the vast majority are registered in Dublin. As a comedian once remarked, do they have to drive through a river while bringing the kids to school?

Geraldine Kane, Trim, Co Meath Guilty for his own sins, not the father's I WAS intrigued by Terry Prone's arguments, put forward in response to the survey results for the question "Do you think his family [Haughey], as beneficiaries of the estate, should be made to pay back some of this money" - 62% said yes they should. She describes this as "begrudgery", as against "morality" and singles out Seán Haughey (who was not specified in the question) as a victim we continue to abuse.

In answer to these points:

1. The definition of begrudgery is "to envy the possession or enjoyment of" - this implies that the monies were legitimately received and this is pure jealousy on our part. Get real, this is part of a huge pay-off to our most senior politician.

2. Prone harps on that Seán Haughey cannot afford this and would have to sell his house - not true. Each of the Haughey children was given sizeable amounts of these funds before the death of Charles Haughey.

The question even clarifies "as beneficiaries of the estate".

3. Prone makes the argument that there is nowhere for these monies to go. They should cover the costs of the tribunal and save the taxpayer a bundle.

4. Seán Haughey is an elected representative and government minister first and foremost - he was handicapped in his career by his father's actions and the inability to acknowledge or criticise these actions. In fact, if anybody within the Haughey family should be singled out for criticism, besides Charlie, it should be Seán for he is supposed to be a paragon of the highest standards in office and democracy.

Anthony McDonnell, The View, Woodside, Bettystown, Co Meath

Knock will only open door to more carnage

WITH the "pacification of Baghdad" beginning in February, it should be remembered how Fallujah was handled. Illegal white phosphor cluster bombs and depleted uranium were used on anyone who stayed behind. Fallujah was occupied first in May 2003 without a shot, until the US opened fire on parents walking children to school, the first of many massacres. This was described as "another busy day" by the media. The total deaths in Iraq so far are in the 650,000 region.

As the use of Knock is being discussed for the deployment of a further 21,000 US troops to "pacify" Baghdad, will it become part of "the US conveyor-belt of death" as Shannon was accurately described by former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter?

While in Saudi Arabia, Bertie Ahern said there had been "catastrophic failures" in the US-led policy towards Iraq and "the international community could no longer afford the further brutalisation, division and isolation of the historic nation of Iraq."

This is what he called "antiAmerican" rhetoric two years ago. This is his first condemnation. He should back up his words and withdraw Shannon and now possibly Knock, or would that be "a hostile act", as he said before? As Ireland slides into our collective moral abyss, we should rename Knock airport because I don't think The Queen of Peace would agree with it being used for war-crimes.

Paul O'Toole, Thorndale Park, Artane, Dublin 5

Government speaks in tongues on TG4

DURING the week, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources discussed the new Broadcasting Act.

In a new approach, there was an eConsultation on the proposed act and the debates were broadcast live on the internet.

I sent in an observation on the independence of TG4 and was delighted to see the large number others sent. However, I was saddened to hear the presentation the chief executive of the station, Pól �? Gallchóir, made.

He believes the station should have Euro50m funding when independent. While I don't doubt �? Gallchóir is committed, if we are serious about the Irish language, we should demand the station is given enough for a fullschedule service in Irish. I can't see that coming from the present government, though.

Darren Mac an Phríora, Corrán Chaisleán Cnucha, Caisleán Cnucha, Baile Átha Cliath 15

Why the Mater project matters archbishops of Dublin. Be that a minor matter of conscience and intellectual integrity as it may:

both appear to be calling - very wisely - on the government to freeze the deeply flawed project for a single children's hospital on the Mater site and to review it. Anybody who has been involved in monitoring children's hospital care, is aware of the need to rationalise the manner in which it is delivered - and to ensure best value for the ultimately limited financial resources available. However, if somebody had set out deliberately to find the worst possible way to promote and manage such reforms, they could not have been more successful than the HSE and the Department of Health and Children have been.

It is time for the Taoiseach to read the signs, freeze the project and appoint a truly independent but transparent body to review the process, this time with the participation of all the stakeholders.

Maurice O'Connell, Forge Park, Oakpark, Tralee, Co Kerry

THE proposed building of a new national children's hospital at the Mater is just one more example of this government's disconnected thinking. Dublin may be the capital, but accessing it and its suburbs is very lower case. This project ranks with the 'Bertie Bowl' as just another example of their planning incompetence.

Keith Nolan, Caldra House, Caldragh, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim Port tunnel brings huge improvement I KNOW it's early days, but I have to say regarding the Dublin port tunnel, so far, so good! I have definitely noticed a huge improvement in traffic.

Initially, I thought it was just because of the Christmas holidays the traffic was so light, but even this week, when everyone was back at work, and school, the traffic was still incredibly light. Even on Thursday 11 January, a very stormy morning with winds gusting over 120kph, the traffic was quiet.

There used to be a big line of trucks just off the Alfie Byrne Road waiting to turn left at the Fairview/Malahide Road junction. That has all disappeared since the port tunnel opened.

Paul Kinsella, Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9

I want to shoot the whole piece down

EOGHAN RICE really should have been listening more carefully to Bob Geldof in Newcastle last week (Tell me why? I don't trust Bob on poverty, 14 January). How he could read Geldof 's praise of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's role in galvanising the G8 to fight poverty in Africa as a claim that "poverty is no more" is beyond me.

However, if readers persisted with Rice's piece, they would also have read that Geldof has failed to hold the G8 to account. "Instead of pushing for promises to be kept, he has let the G8 off the hook." Rice obviously missed a global news conference in June last year - a year after Live8 - where Geldof launched the Data Report which says the G8 are way off track in keeping their promises to Africa. He failed to hear Geldof describe progress on a trade deal for Africa as "ugly" and must also be unaware of the Africa Progress Panel, of which Geldof is a member, set up specifically to hold the G8 to account.

Bono, who co-founded Data in 2002 to fight poverty and Aids in Africa, made it clear at Gleneagles that the historic pledges made at the summit were only the beginning: "We've climbed a mountain only to realise we have a much higher mountain to climb." A year later, he told Reuters that the G8 had made little progress: "Over the past year they got lost at base camp."

The fact is that, although aid works by helping Africans fight extreme poverty across the continent, most of our political leaders aren't keeping promises to increase aid. Bob and Bono have in fact continued to keep the pressure on them, not relieve it from them.

I don't doubt Mr Rice's motives, but if he really wants to put some pressure on the G8, he should drop a note to Bertie Ahern or this year's leader, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, and urge them to keep their promises to Africa. For the facts about the G8's progress on Africa, he could do worse than visiting www. thedatareport. org.

Jamie Drummond, Executive Director, DATA, 111 Wardour Street, London W1F 0UH