A chara, - Dr Garret FitzGerald asserts (July 26 th)that Northern Catholics will not "outbreed" Protestants before 2050 AD at the earliest, and history may prove him correct. It seems to me, however, that he is failing to take due account of the influence on Catholic numbers which will flow from equal treatment for Catholics in the area of jobs.
With the end of the traditional policy of encouraging Catholic emigration through the denial of jobs and housing, more Catholics will be encouraged to remain and to raise families. As recently exemplified in the census returns in this Republic, it is the number of families - and not necessarily the size of individual families - which holds the key to population growth.
Dr FitzGerald writes of the danger of propagating the "myth" that Catholics will soon "outbreed" Protestants, but surely this is less harmful than the propagation of the myth that Protestants do not need to engage now with Catholics in shaping a new Ireland, because the Protestant majority is secure! Le meas,
Liam O Geibheannaigh,
Ath an Ghainimh, Co Atha Cliath.