Madam, - When some people attempt to portray Ireland as being too expensive, they do not compare like with like. With regard to Marie-Claire Walsh's letter of August 14th, I'm sure one can buy a five-litre bottle of water in a supermarket for a reasonable price in this country. And I recently paid more than €2 for a small bottle of water in a restaurant in Lanzarote - where you can also buy in bulk much more cheaply in supermarkets.
Most of the comments I have heard and read regarding price differences compare Ireland with cheaper destinations such as Spain and Portugal, where property and production costs are much lower.
We have just spent a week in Kerry, staying in a four-star hotel with a leisure centre, and dining in a smoke-free atmosphere; it cost less overall than our week in Lanzarote, even allowing for flight costs.
And in Ireland, it's safe to drink the tap water. - Yours, etc.,
ANGELA MAGENNIS, Woodlawn, Ballinasloe, Co Galway.