Sir, - Mr Brendan McGrath of Clare County Council suggests that the Government should impose a tax on rural sites so as to direct development in the right direction (May 30th). Would not the outcome of this suggestion be that only the rich would then be able to purchase these sites, with an undesired effect on existing rural communities?
This proposal would put even greater pressures on local inhabitants wishing to build a house in their own area, unless they were rich. There is need for control of developments in areas of particular beauty, or where the environment needs to be protected, but in my view, restricting access to the rich is the wrong way to achieve this, and may appear suspect to perceptive observers. - Yours, etc.,
Brendan O'Donoghue, St John's, Castledermot, Co Kildare.