Sir, - The ban on non-indigenous people building houses in counties Clare and Limerick could be regarded as a form of positive ethnic discrimination, but is in fact much more than that. It allows Johnny MacFarmer to get into the building development business. He and his siblings can obtain planning permission for each of them to build a house which can be sold on at an enhanced price to those less fortunate foreigners from Dublin or - Lord forbid - from London, who are prohibited from carrying out such development for themselves.
No doubt this form of positive discrimination in favour of the locals will be a great little vote-catcher and will be taken up by many other local authorities in the near future. - Yours, etc.,
Martin O'Boyle, The Cove, Tramore, Co Waterford.