Madam, - I am so glad that Mr John Ahern of Indaver has found in Ms Susan Philips (Opinion & Analysis, December 1st) a brave, informed voice to speak up for the lovely incinerator he is determined the ungrateful people of Cork shall enjoy.
For too long horrid so-called environmentalists and public representatives have stood between simple folk and their own best interest, and nobody seemed to want to say anything kind or nice about his brilliant plans to burn all our nasty rubbish.
If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all - that's what nanny always said, and I'm sure Ms Philips agrees.
Don't these silly objectors realise that all this negativity about dioxins, birth defects and so on is just tiresome, when the EPA has told us there's nothing to be frightened about and that bad things aren't allowed in the environment nowadays?
Fair play too for her incisive analysis of our waste management problems and her identification of a complete transformation of our electoral system as being "at the heart of the answer". She rightly commends the recent legislation which has transferred powers away from elected councillors and into the hands of unelected managers.
While we're having this grown-up debate, and using some quite long words, I want to join Ms Philips and say to all you noisy, shouty folk down there in Cork: if you don't like your incinerator, just remember that lovely picture in the paper.
Incinerators can be very pretty, so please don't be sulky and rude, but just ask Mr John Ahern nicely and I'm sure he will decorate it with some glitter-balls and fairy-lights for you. At Christmas, anyway. - Yours, etc,
NICHOLAS LOUGHNAN, Youghal, Co Cork.