Madam, - As the current Government is so adept at shooting itself in the foot (see Telecom Éireann, NTR, PPARS, Pulse, etc) one wonders why John McCormack and Eilish Pearce (March 9th and 13th) are so dismayed at the proposed sale of Aer Lingus.
Instead of peddling hotel chains and airlines (which we own) the Government should put the whole country on the market. It is, after all, in reasonably good running order; it makes a profit and is peopled by compliant (even sheepish) English-speaking Europeans.
England might buy it back to expand its grocery trade and resume where it left off early last century. France might buy it to spite England and dump its nuclear waste off Cumbria.
Or the USA might acquire it, as it did Alaska, especially as the place is full of ready-to-go tort. . . sorry, rendering plants. And we can all retire to Inishfree on the proceeds.- Yours, etc,
EAMON SWEENEY, Dartry, Dublin 6.