SubscribeSubscriber OnlyLettersCurrent measures don’t go far enoughThe Irish Times - Letters to the Editor. Sat Jul 18 2026 - 06:00 • 1 MIN READSir,- I recommend that the hosepipe ban be extended to all DIY and gardening activities, just to be on the safe side. – Yours, etc,Daragh Solan,Cabinteely,Dublin 18.IN THIS SECTIONWe are supposed to be civilised: the HSE shouldn’t deny women pain relief in early labourBasin in the shower as a water conservation trickTanning lotion for an interesting shade of bronzeSharp increase in helicopter traffic due to EU presidencyConsultants’ pay: Higher earning figures mean more work in a stretched systemMOST READBrenda Fricker: ‘It was real violence, and I needed protection. Where was my father? There was blood all over me’ Woman who tripped on housing estate footpath awarded €110,000 by High CourtJudge approves demolition of 29 modular homes built without permission in DublinSomali nationals entitled to legal costs over State’s inaction to remove them, High Court rulesBrenda Fricker, Irish Oscar-winning actor, has died aged 81LATEST STORIESKen Early: The World Cup final is a confrontation of two opposite ways of seeing the worldBolger and Regan bid to disrupt Classic status quo with Oaks hope Sparan NuaMartyn TurnerLanguage schools face sanctions after inquiry into alleged failure to return student feesHead of HSE gender healthcare to step down at end of year after drafting new model of care