Sir, – That the Tánaiste should welcome the advent of a major distribution centre for Amazon in a neighbouring constituency is perhaps no surprise. But the positive remarks associated with this by him and by the “positive” headline in your article (“500 jobs”) is.
I share Tomás Kenny's worry as to the effects this will have on the sector within which we both work ("Small retailers 'nervous' of expanded Irish presence", September 9th).
Amazon has devastated bookselling worldwide and the effects are clearly seen in Ireland with the continuing reduction in the quantity and quality (with some exceptions) of bookshops throughout the island. Its advent here will allow it to continue its steamroller effect on the other sectors of the retail world to the detriment of shops in every town on the island. With the closure of so many shops and other businesses, where will the rates that sustain the jobs in the local authorities come from?
No amount of coffee shops and similar can replace a thriving, mixed use main street; 500 jobs is nothing to the effect that this will have.
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– Yours, etc,
ROBERT TOWERS,
Monkstown, Co Dublin.