State support for fee-paying schools

Sir, – As a PAYE taxpayer who has sent his children to a private school, I can assure Tom Cooper (June 5th) that I am not one of the "privileged few". People like myself, and there are many, freely pay the extra for additional facilities and adjust our lifestyles to do without other things which people like him might take for granted. As taxpayers also, on what basis should we be denied the right to publicly funded teachers ?

If Mr Cooper is of the opinion that those he considers to be privileged do not pay their fair share of taxes, then that is an entirely different issue.

It must also be obvious that if private school fees become unaffordable to many, then they will use the public system instead and the additional teachers would be required anyway. – Yours, etc,

DON O’GRADY,

READ SOME MORE

Lucan,

Co Dublin.