Sir, – I am sure that Fintan O'Toole is quite right when he says that the Tories always intended to be unfaithful to the DUP ("The Tories have already betrayed the DUP", Opinion & Analysis, September 26th). However, I think he overestimates the degree to which this matters to Arlene Foster and her party.
It seems to me that the deal the DUP did with Theresa May was as much about deflecting attention away from the debacle of “cash for ash” as it was about having the chance to support a hard Brexit. And, what better way to make up for “stupidly” losing £500 million of taxpayers’ money than by “shrewdly” getting a cash injection of £1 billion from the UK government? – Yours, etc,
JOE McCARTHY,
Arbour Hill, Dublin 7.
Sir, – Does the news that beef farmers in Northern Ireland are calling for a five-year transition period after Brexit mean the turkeys want to postpone Christmas? – Yours, etc,
BRIAN AHERN,
Clonsilla,
Dublin 15.