Sir, - We were interested to read of the proposal that Dublin Corporation erect a 394-foot stainless steel spike on the former site of the Nelson Pillar in O'Connell Street. Is the proposed structure meant to be an acknowledgement by the city fathers of the magnitude of Dublin's drug problem or, given what has gone on at this location in recent years, a beacon for addicts across the city signalling "heroin available here"?
We note that the race is on to name the world's largest hypodermic needle and we wish to get our proposal in early: how about "Nelson's works"? The begrudgers will, of course, claim that the £3 million could be better used providing drug rehabilitation programmes, but, as they say, "f-- the begrudgers." We only hope the new structure lasts longer than the "chime in the slime". - Yours, etc., Andre Lyder,
PRO, Coalition of Communities against Drugs, Cork Street, Dublin 8.