I WRITE with regard to your feature entitled "Fines for Holiday Parents" (July 23).

Firstly, let me say that in extreme cases of absenteeism from school I agree with the council's decision in implementing this fixed penalty rule.

However, I think that the council should look very carefully at who it does and who it does not fine and take into consideration all factors addressed by the pupil's parents when they make their decision on whether to fine a parent for taking their child/children out of school.

Many families would not be able to afford to take their children away on holiday if they were not to take them out of school. Many parents are decent, single parent families and many couples scrimp and scrape so that their children can enjoy the benefit of a much needed break, this indeed being not only for the children but for all the family.

Secondly, there are employers of parents who still allocate holidays to their employees which fall outside school holiday times. For instance I, as a grandparent, together with my husband, have booked to take our grandchildren to Florida next September. This holiday was booked at this time because my husband has been allocated this holiday period and would find it difficult to change.

Indeed many employees throughout my husband's workplace struggle to get school holidays even though they do not want to take their children out of school. I myself work in a small workplace where all three of my work colleagues have children, which again causes potential difficulties even without taking myself into the equation.

Perhaps the council should take a look at re-organising the school holiday system allocating two weeks mid-June, mid-August and mid-September?

Perhaps the council should take a long look at the fact that most parents do not even come close to an annual salary that they themselves enjoy!

Finally, will the council - upon implementing this rule in September - reimburse all families (who have already booked their holiday for next year) their deposits so that they may cancel or does the council this year intend to waive this rule for parents who can prove they have already booked?

I'm quite sure we are not the only family who would appreciate an answer to this question.

A SMITH (Mrs) (address supplied).