Sir, - Mr Michael MacCoisdealbh's letter (March 29th) is breathtaking in its class. conscious attitudes to unemployed people, some of whom are women who happen to be lone mothers. Apparently he has failed to notice that despite having one of the strongest performing economies in Europe, this country has failed to provide either jobs or a decent income for over a quarter of a million of its people.
In the 10 years that I worked in a resource centre for lone parents, I never met one woman who got pregnant "in order to qualify for the largesse the State confers" on them. Having sole responsibility for a child 24 hours a day is not an option any sensible person would promote. However, rather than condemn young lone mothers for choosing to keep their children we should affirm and support them, particularly because of the way this society treated so many lone mothers in the past.
Perhaps Mr MacCoisdealbh believes that enforced exile and orphanages are a humane option for those who can't or won't toe the line? Thankfully, the vast majority of Irish people don't agree with him. - Yours, etc.,
Ashcroft, Raheny, Dublin 5.