Madam, - The more one reads about Declan Ganley's sinister Shelbourne Hotel dinner set, the more disturbing it gets: from Vaclav Klaus, who calls environmentalism a "totalitarian" lie, to Dariusz Sobkow, whose Polish "Law and Justice" party believes homosexuality will destroy civilisation, to Philippe De Villiers, who has stoked anger towards Islamic immigrants in France. This paints a picture of disparate extremists who prey on people's fears and anxieties, and stand in contrast to our best traits and instincts as Irish and European citizens.
If indeed, Mr Ganley is going to form a European party made up of Islamaphobes, Nato militarists and extreme right-wing conservatives, the Irish people deserve to know the real nature of his movement. The little we know of this network should seriously concern all of us who believe in a progressive, peaceful and tolerant future for Europe. - Yours, etc,
Madam, - Vaclav Klaus's visit to Ireland this week is not the first time the Czech president has raised eyebrows in foreign relations.
He denies the reality of climate change. His remarkable and consistently pro-Russian stance has been described by Czech pundits as "border-line sycophancy". And the recent award to him of the Pushkin prize have caused many people to question whether the Russian state is seeking to influence European politics through Klaus.
Most Czechs to whom I have spoken on the subject describe him as the new Gerhard Schröder - a man who advocated Moscow's cause for years within the EU before retiring to a lucrative sinecure with Gazprom.
The fact that Libertas and Declan Ganley have chosen to hold Mr Klaus up as an exemplar of their cause raises serious questions about their political judgment and associations. Given that the exact sources of Libertas's funding are still somewhat opaque, it also raises questions about who is influencing Libertas and directing its policy.
Moscow was delighted to see the failure of the Lisbon referendum in Ireland, which many analysts have seen as a major factor in the decision to invade Georgia this summer. A weak and divided Europe has long suited Russia's interests, and it has a history of clandestinely funding and supporting European political parties amenable to its cause, including the now defunct Workers' Party in Ireland.
If Libertas wants to be taken seriously as a legitimate political lobby it must disclose the sources of its funding. Otherwise the Irish people would do well to treat it with suspicion. - Yours, etc,
Madam, - I am aghast at your publication of the guest list for Declan Ganley's private reception for the President of the Czech Republic (The Irish Times, November 13th). Dozens of dinners and receptions are held annually for other visiting dignitaries and the names of the attendees are not published..
Both the Government and your publication have complained of the Czech president's breach of protocol. But the publication of the guest list was certainly a breach of decent civilised behaviour.
Both the Government and The Irish Times disagree with the views of President Klaus and Mr Ganley on the Lisbon Treaty. But these views happen to coincide with the democratically expressed opinion of a majority of voters in last June's referendum. - Yours, etc,