Madam, - I note with interest that Ms Marie Antoinette Harney has instructed the public to "shop around" if they find the price of drink in pubs too dear. But what are we to do if we wish to see a certain band or act in a particular venue? Are we supposed to limit our drinking?
What choice do tourists have when they lack local knowledge of our pricing systems - or should that read overpricing systems?
In Portugal I could consume two coffees in a café and purchase six take-away bread rolls for a total price of €2.50. On my return I visited an "Irish sandwich bar" in Stillorgan and was charged €3.95 for one slice of bread with some tuna and mayonnaise for an eight-year-old child.
Have we lost all sense of proportion - or should I have asked the price of cake? - Yours, etc.,
FERGUS MADDEN, Taney Avenue, Dundrum, Dublin 14.