Sir, – John Daly (March 9th) is not the first to suggest that rural dwellers who pay for private water schemes should receive a rebate if the state water system is supported through general taxation. However, as it stands the cost of providing almost all state services – electricity, phone, broadband, post, public transport, education, ambulances, road maintenance, healthcare, etc – is far more expensive in sparsely populated rural areas than in more densely populated urban areas.
I presume that Mr Daly and other rural dwellers seeking a rebate in respect of private water schemes will have no objection to paying their fair share when it comes to all of the other services in future, and will stop expecting urban dwellers to subsidise their high-maintenance lifestyle choice through general taxation. – Yours, etc,
JOHN THOMPSON,
Phibsboro, Dublin 7.