Sir, - The country is awash with righteous indignation at the activities of livestock smugglers. However, it should be remembered that the recent sheep smuggling episodes were basically a VAT fraud. As such they were no different from our other national pastimes of tax evasion, insurance scams, expense fiddling - activities that thrive in a culture which does not see them as theft, but celebrates them as "cute hoorism".
Only when we develop a more mature sense of citizenship (which involves paying taxes in your country instead of dying for it) will these activities cease to be acceptable. - Yours, etc.,
Michael Burke, Mohill, Co Leitrim.