Sir, - Your business supplement of July 25th, in a small item headlined "New Shipping Service for Waterford", recorded that Waterford port was "actively seeking to secure further British and Continental shipping services for the port", following the Bell fiasco. May one ask where are the Irish shipping services that should be available in such circumstances?
The new Government promised when elected to strengthen our maritime economy. Will it please gather all the (plentiful) expertise available to see how the pitifully small Irish merchant navy can be developed so that we no longer depend upon, and pay, foreign shipowners to carry nearly ninetenths of our imports and exports? - Yours, etc.,
John de Courcy Ireland,
Dalkey, Co Dublin.