May I suggest a few ways to cut some of our budget deficit? The €5bn that the soon-to-be-extinct Green Party seems to think is necessary for the "country", ie Dublin, would build a series of by-passes on the N4 and have billions left over. These are necessary and would provide jobs during the construction stage and afterwards.

The first should be at Ballinalack, then Rathowen, Newtownforbes and lastly Carrick-on-Shannon. Apart from Carrick, the others are mere 'streets' and it would cost very little to accomplish.

Upgrade the N4 and N15 to dual carriageway status and the journey time between the north-west and Dublin would be considerably reduced. This new infrastructure might attract new industry to the laughably-called BMW region.

More money could be saved if politicians were to forgo all expenses and accept their considerable salaries as payment in full. This would save about €50m.

Another €50m could be saved if we got rid of the government jets, and reduced to five the number of government cars.

Abolish junior ministers, government advisers, Mary Harney, quangos, and two payments to TDs who are also ministers. Ban double-jobbing until we get out of this recession.

I could go on but these are a few reasonable suggestions for saving the country millions.

Réisín Cawley

Bunnanaddan

Co Sligo