Madam, - According to a report in your edition of September 27th, the British magazine the Economist has apologised for giving incorrect information on the marriage rate and alcohol spending in the Republic of Ireland.
As stated by the Economist, (a) the Irish marriage rate is the lowest in Europe by far; and (b) money spent in Ireland on alcoholic drinks per capita is higher than in France, Germany, Austria, Belgium and The Netherlands combined.
Did this esteemed magazine get its information from the same intelligence source that Tony Blair and George Bush used for their facts about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? - Yours, etc.,
PETER STAFFORD, Dublin Road, Malahide, Co Dublin.