Sir, - Sincere thanks to J. Jerome Casey and his ilk (September 1st) who graciously deigned to "rally around" the agricultural community during the recent foot-and-mouth crisis.
I'm sure the postponing of weddings and curtailing of social gatherings greatly inconvenienced many an urban dweller.
Mr Casey's attitude to the farming community is very clear: he appears almost to be ticking them off for their insolent unwillingness to comply with the National Development Plan.
What he fails to realise is that just as he has his concerns as an urban dweller, farmers have theirs as rural dwellers, who, as he points out, make their living from the land - the same land they feel is being threatened by the National Development Plan.
Farmers are entitled to exercise their judgment by refusing to sell their land and by questioning a development which they obviously feel to be objectionable.
He mentions the "outrageous sums" being offered to farmers for their land. Just how outrageous? As outrageous as the price of a three-bedroomed semi-detached house in a Dublin suburb? He also cites the "danger and frustration" involved for Dubliners commuting to work. Infinitely more frustrating is the ridiculous number of cars that can be seen during rush hour containing only one passenger. Perhaps these frustrated commuters need to look a little closer to home for solutions to Dublin's increasing traffic problems. - Yours, etc.,
Helen O'Connor, Rathmines Road Upper, Dublin 6.