Madam, - Your Editorial "Irish Food Prices" (June 3rd) hits the nail on the head. The Government should follow the Competition Authority's advice by opening up the retail business to full competition and tearing down all those restrictive practices.
The lower prices and higher quality that will result will benefit every single consumer (and, might I say, voter).
On the other hand, to maintain the status quo will benefit inefficient retailers (a much smaller group) by keeping prices high and saving them the inconvenience of getting their costs down and their value up.
Ireland's rich people can, of course, well afford those higher prices. The real burden falls on the least advantaged, those for whom the price of food is a real personal struggle. Why should they have to subsidise the inefficiencies of cossetted retailers?
The Government needs to decide. Will it protect producers or consumers? It cannot do both. - Yours, etc.,
TONY ALLWRIGHT, Killiney, Co Dublin.
Madam, - At Kilkenny railway station today I bought a can of 7Up and asked for a disposable cup. I was offered a free drinking straw which I declined.
I was then charged 30c for one Bewley's paper cup!
Tourism? Ireland of the Welcomes? Rip-off Ireland?
Need I say more? - Yours, etc.,
O. CLARKE, Raheny, Dublin 5.
Madam, - We have just paid for our summer holiday and have been told by the travel agent that we have to pay an additional €24 to "guarantee" that we get seats beside our children on the plane.
Was it just an amazing coincidence that every other year we "managed" to be seated together? Does anyone know where this has come from? Is there no control over ridiculous surcharges?
If I book four tickets to the theatre will I soon have to pay a surcharge to guarantee that they are all together too? - Yours, etc.,
CATHY DONNELLY, St Peter's Crescent, Walkinstown, Dublin 12.