Madam, - I can endorse Derry Maguire's evidence on the high cost of such a basic item as bottled water in Ireland compared with continental Europe (June 25th).
On holiday in France recently we paid just 59 cent for 5-litre bottles of still water in supermarkets, whereas a leading supermarket's price here is €2.68 - 4.5 times the French price.
I do not think that water in Ireland is such a scarce commodity as to justify this enormous differential. - Yours etc.,
HELEN IRWIN, Carrickbrennan Lawn, Monkstown, Co Dublin.