Madam, - When certain politicians and retailers exhort people to shop in "Ireland" as a patriotic duty to protect "Irish", they reveal an outdated exclusionist and protectionist mindset that merely seeks to extend divisions on this island.
Such a mindset designates the northern part of Ireland as "foreign" to the rest of the country simply because it continues to remain part of the UK state. It blatantly contravenes the ethos and spirit of the 1998 Belfast Agreement which recognises the right of all on the island to claim to be Irish as a birthright, legitimately and equally, regardless of geographical or cultural background and regardless of whatever constitutional arrangements exist.
Politicians who hypocritically resort to such a petty and exclusionist brand of sub-insular "patriotism" could do better spending their time addressing the ills of the rip-off Republic, where the same (Irish and foreign) retailers south of the border charge over 30 per cent more for identical products than they do in the North.
They could also work with Northern politicians to create a harmonised regulatory framework throughout Ireland in line with agreed EU policy, which, through the EU Consumer Policy Strategy 2007-2013, states:
"Opening up cross-border retail markets is the key to unlocking the potential of the retail internal market. As cross-border shopping develops as a credible alternative to national markets, consumers both have greater choice and national markets are subject to greater competition."
The common market should start at home. - Yours, etc,
E. BYRNE,
Frankfield,
Douglas, Cork.
A chara, - A report by Paul Cullen on possible job losses in the retail sector quotes Superquinn CEO Simon Burke as saying that not all prices are cheaper in the North and that really it is a "mixed bag" (The Irish Times, November 27th).
I have been a regular shopper in Superquinn for many years. I have been to Newry a number of times in recent months. Unfortunately, for us it is not a "mixed bag". Practically everything is cheaper there; it is only a question of how much cheaper.
Mr Burke also claims that when it comes to fresh produce there is little or no difference in prices. Again this is not true. For instance, loose Gala apples, which cost 49 cent in Superquinn, are less than half this price in Newry. How can something that is grown in France travel all the way to Newry (when Dublin is closer) and still cost half the price? There are many similar examples.
Who has been making all the profit? They should be blamed if the job losses become a reality, not the shoppers trying to get the best value for their euro. - Yours, etc,
EAMONN BYRNE,
Oaktree Avenue,
Castleknock,
Dublin 15.