THE announcement, on Wednesday, from Northern Ireland's chief education inspector, Noelle Buick, in the Educational Training Inspectorate's (ETI) biennial report, revealed only 39% of Northern Ireland schools "fully co-operated" with school inspectors. This revelation is not entirely surprising.
FORMER Fianna Fail adviser Martin Mansergh is lecturing Irish nationalists on the allegedly positive aspects of Northern Ireland.
A THOUSAND nationalist signatories from both parts of Ireland published an open letter to the Taoiseach, calling on him to ensure the rights of northern nationalists after Brexit.
I HAVE read and re-read Dr David Capper's statement about Justice Brett Kavanaugh not being entitled to the presumption of innocence because he was not facing a court of law, or in danger of losing his liberty, with a feeling of incredulity (Write Back, October 18).
THE Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland welcomes the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court in favour of Ashers Bakery.
Earlier this week at the Labour Party annual conference in Liverpool, two very significant developments occurred.
Members of our congregations have expressed deep shock and sadness upon learning of the divisive recommendation coming before Ards and North Down Council on Wednesday, September 26.
In Friday's Belfast Telegraph (September 21), Professor Tom Hadden made a number of statements in his piece in the Comment section on Legacy proposals, which I feel I must respond to.
On BBC Panorama, the Prime Minister said: "The people of Northern Ireland deserve to be listened to in these negotiations by the UK as people elsewhere in the country, and it's important that we deliver for the people of Northern Ireland."
WHO is steering Northern Ireland? The Secretary of State seems pleasant but as unwilling to take control as her predecessor was. Perhaps that is the instruction from Westminster, concerned not to upset the DUP on one hand and Sinn Fein and the Irish government on the other.
The latest revelations emanating from the costly Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Inquiry resemble a pantomime farce and only reinforce the view that Northern Ireland politicians, especially in the DUP, are totally unfit to govern.
The 20th anniversary of the Omagh bombing is now over and no direct apology has been received from Nuala O'Loan for her comments on that most painful day.
I WAS very disappointed to read Alf McCreary's article (Saturday Review, August 11) on the Pride parade, as he appears to have succumbed to the polished PR of the LGBT community.
HAS anyone else noticed how rare it is that someone of note in the arts, sport, entertainment or the media from a unionist background to declare themselves, without qualification, as British, or unionist, when the occasion to do so arises? How different for those of a nationalist background, who seem to have no problem declaring for Ireland.
THE letter by 230-plus Presbyterians (News, July 6) has a certain stable-door-closing ring about it.
In response to Dr Billy and Jean Boyd, of Newtownabbey (Write Back, June 25), let me say that to pick quotes from Timothy, Paul and Joshua is disingenuous if we consider what Jesus - who was often seen in the company of "publicans and sinners" - might say about the current state of a small part of his universal Church, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, if he were here today.
I refer to Brian McClinton's letter (Write Back, June 21) regarding the Bible and philosophy.
HAVE some people in west Belfast lost the plot, or do they just blindly copy whatever Sinn Fein does?
WE are deeply concerned about the impact of the current definition of terminal illness used for eligibility for benefits, including Personal Independence Payments (PIP) in Northern Ireland.
I write as a member of staff in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC) to question the wisdom of your front-page article and Editor's Viewpoint (May 14), which appear to amount to a witch-hunt, as I can see no benefit to anyone of such "investigative journalism".
IMAGINE growing up in your own home city and not being able to use your native language at the post office or when you visit the dentist or doctor. Imagine having to rely on a family member to translate for you, even when in hospital. This is the language discrimination suffered by our deaf community.
THE flying of the SAS flag in Loughgall is a reminder of the success of the brave SAS operation at Loughgall.
As a host for the Abortion Support Network, along with other volunteers, I provide accommodation, transport and food for Irish women forced to travel to England for abortions.
At Action on Elder Abuse Northern Ireland, we were pleased to see the Belfast Telegraph noting just how woeful the prosecution rates of crimes against older people are and urging its readers to report such crimes.
When questioned about the loss of 13 Sinn Fein elected representatives, following outbreaks of internal disputes, Sinn Fein's new leader Mary Lou McDonald glibly described it as coming down to "interpersonal dynamics".
Watching the Winter Olympics, I wondered where the occupational health and safety officials were.
The position on the Irish language is as incomprehensible to many Britons on the eastern side of the Irish (not "British") Sea as is Sinn Fein's obsession with it to the point of preventing political compromise.
Malachy Finnegan was a sadist. Throughout my seven years as a pupil at St Colman's in the 1980s, something rotten was allowed to fester at the core of that school - I saw it every day.
David Fullerton (Write Back, January 10) is gravely mistaken in thinking that abortion is opposed only by those whom he describes as holding 'fundamentalist beliefs'.
David Fullerton wants Donald Gale to desist from writing about abortion in pro-life terms. I fear that Mr Fullerton's approach is illogical and inconsistent.
The saga of the recent sectarian outburst of Barry McElduff MP is just another sorry milestone in the political history of Northern Ireland, which is littered with such uncharitable words and actions.
I wold like to suggest that your newspaper begins to print a daily running total of the Northern Ireland Assembly wage bill, which has amassed while the recipients are still not sitting, preferably on your front page.
I just wanted to clarify a point regarding the far-Right group Britain First (News, January 10).
The comments about President Trump's health, both physical and mental, are concerning and a lot of print space has been devoted to it and the possible ramifications.
If the committee for the commemoration of the civil rights movement is concerned about endowing a better understanding, as stated by Dr Sean Byers (Write Back, January 9), then it should emphasise that the issue was not - and should not have become - sectarian, as it did. What went wrong?
All my suspicions about the Government withholding funding from the NHS with the intention of causing a collapse, to sneak in more privatisation as a 'cure' to the crisis, have unfortunately been confirmed by Anne Milton.
Were you - or someone you know - born before or during the First World War?
Brian Gibson's letter (Write Back, January 9) asks is the media open-minded when judging Donald Trump? I suggest it has been too open-minded and that is why Trump is president today.
As we begin another new year, we hope for health and prosperity and that those dear to us will enjoy a happy and safe 2018. Sadly, for millions of people around the globe, their basic survival, rather than happiness, is the immediate priority for the next 12 months.
Contrary to your correspondent Damien O'Connell (Write Back, January 8), there has been no reduction in Translink services between Derry/Londonderry and Dublin.
Parading around with a loaf of bread, or a bag of potatoes come to that, on one's head is the type of juvenile action we might perhaps expect from football supporters, trying to mildly wind the other side up.
Would Donald Gale (Write Back, January 5) please desist from using his own personal beliefs and scriptural references when dealing with the subject of termination of pregnancy?
It was with great interest - and consternation - that I read Nelson McCausland's latest column (Comment, January 4) on the origins of the Northern Ireland civil rights movement.
From a distance, it is hard to make sense of what is happening in Washington - especially with this latest book on 'The Donald' citing him as incompetent.
Donald Trump saying that Steve Bannon 'lost his mind' is like the pot calling the kettle black.
How does President Trump's attempt to ban the book on the operation of the White House sit with his presidential duty to protect the constitution, including the First Amendment (freedom of speech)?
As a resident of Crossgar who voted at the last council and Assembly elections for councillor Patrick Brown, I am somewhat bemused, puzzled, annoyed and confused as to how an Alliance councillor can actually be elected in my council district when he has an address in Belfast as his residence.
The Ulster-Scots Agency has launched Belfast Burns Week 2018 to celebrate the January 25 birthday of Robert Burns.
There have been additional cutbacks to the Derry-Dublin bus service (this time by Ulsterbus) on top of the cancellation of the Bus Eireann service last year.
Remembrance Sunday 2018 falls exactly on November 11 (Armistice Day) and exactly 100 years since the guns fell silent in the fields where the poppies grew.
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