Sir, – A recent visit to Brittany highlighted a specific offshoot of nature restoration, namely the thatched roof ecosystem. While the Breton-associated preserved heritage is no doubt more significant than ours, one was struck by the focus on this grand tradition. Apart from restoration and maintenance, most pleasing was the number of fully modern, no doubt A-rated new builds, both under construction or recently completed. The contrast with the current apparent race to thatching oblivion in this country was all too evident. As ecosystem building involves both ecological and economic facets, can the relevant powers not deploy a tiny fraction of the country’s overflowing billions towards a targeted insurance fund for thatched properties to bypass the current reliance on a dysfunctional market? Accompanied by holistic, targeted incentives encompassing raw materials (rushes and rewetting), skills (thatchers), grants, planning guidelines, etc, the opportunity should exist to create a valuable niche proposition with outsized benefits, if properly implemented.
From little acorns great oaks grow. – Yours, etc,
LORCAN BROPHY,
Maynooth,
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Co Kildare.
