Sir - Bertie drops in on Australia. While there he pays tribute to the contribution of Irish immigrants to the life of the nation. In between the pints and cliches the Taoiseach inspects detention centres to see if we can learn anything about locking up immigrants. All this in celebration of a man who was himself a stranger on our shores. Am I missing something? - Yours, etc.,

Seamus Dooley, Irish Organiser, National Union of Journalists, Dublin 1.