Sir, - The announcement that Boots is to cut its Irish suppliers by nearly 50 per cent should be a wake-up call for anyone who thinks that the influx of British stores to Ireland is a good thing.
This is probably the start of a general policy from these British multinationals which will eventually mean that nearly everything sold in these stores will be imported. And this should be a warning to anyone who shops in these stores.
Competition is a good thing and if people can get bargains in these stores, buying British seems to make good sense. But the important thing to remember is that every punt spent in these stores goes directly back to the British economy.
The argument goes that these stores provide employment to Irish people. But how many jobs? What type of jobs? And how many Irish people actually run these stores? Also, if we look at what Boots is doing, we should ask the question: how many jobs can a store like Tesco provide, after it is 100 per cent British supplied?
This is a worrying trend and will have a disastrous effect on this country. Never mind the millennium bug - it is the British bug we should be worried about. The answer is simple. Buy Irish when you can. Shop in Irish stores when you can. - Yours, etc., Donal Cullen,
Avondale Park, Raheny, Dublin 5.