Sir, - I suggest that anyone who believes that repealing the Grocery Order is a solution to the spiralling inflation in Ireland should spend some time in the urban sprawl that is Dallas, Texas. Alan McQuaid of Bloxham Stockbrokers who has been vocal in this area in your newspaper and other publications can consider this a personal invitation. Here in Dallas you can see at first-hand the dangers of opening up the retail market too much.
First of all, repealing this order should be seen as a short term solution. A hypermarket comes into an area, puts all surrounding local shops out of business and soon there is no choice about where to go for groceries.
If the principle behind repealing this law is to increase competition it can clearly be seen in Dallas that this does not happen. To buy anything more than a pint of milk, it is necessary to go to the supermarket, only one of which is in any given area. How is this creating competition? Another point often made in favour of repealing the order is that it would benefit the very poor. Again this is misguided because if there are no local shops in the area because the hypermarket drove them out, how do the poor get to the supermarket. Suddenly, the price of petrol (or a taxi) is a concern for the poor.
My main reason, however, for supporting the Grocery Order is not economic but cultural. In Dallas there is no such thing as a local butcher who gives you bones for the dog, who saves you a good cut of meat. There is no such thing as a butcher. You buy meat in the hypermarket where the selection is poor.
You can't stroll down the street on a Sunday evening to the corner shop for a few slices of ham and a chat. No, it's into the car and a few miles drive to the hypermarket to stand in the queue for 10 minutes to save 20p.
Trust me. If you lived where I live you would beg the Tanaiste, Mary Harney, to stand firm and keep the Grocery Order intact. - Yours, etc.,
Noel Mooney, Dallas, Texas, 75204.