Assessing Irish export figures

Madam, - Dr Proinnsías Breathnach (December 5th) rightly takes issue with the figures for Irish exports as published in my column…

Madam, - Dr Proinnsías Breathnach (December 5th) rightly takes issue with the figures for Irish exports as published in my column of November 20th. The figures I gave were proportional, not actual.

I wrote that "adjusted for changes in prices, 1990 exports would be 100, 2001 exports would be 120 and the current figures would be around 102". Unknown to me, in the editing process symbols were added to these numbers, giving the impression that the actual figures were €100 billion, €120 billion and €102 billion. These figures would, of course, be absurd. - Yours, etc,

FINTAN O'TOOLE,

Dublin.