Sir, – Overlapping with the return to school and the myth of free education is one of the most obvious "mandatory but not compulsory" aspects of Irish life which Diarmaid Ferriter has overlooked ("20 'mandatory not compulsory' things in Ireland", Opinion & Analysis, September 2nd).
It is of course, the so-called “voluntary contribution”. – Yours, etc,
SORCHA O’REILLY,
Ballinteer,
READ SOME MORE
Dublin 16.