Madam, – Now that your three-day series on the phenomenon of cross-Border shopping (Weekend Review and Features, November 21st, 23rd and 24th) has concluded, I look forward to reading an equivalent analysis of the true economic cost to the Republic of the haemorrhaging of consumer spending from this jurisdiction. This would, I feel, work well alongside a breakdown of the time, fuel, tolls, parking charges and stress expended by those joining the much reported grocery cavalcade to the UK.
When you’re done with that, you might also care to look at the real effort being made by public and private sector interests in towns like Dundalk to stem the outflow through a range of initiatives to make shopping local as attractive as possible this Christmas and through the year. – Yours, etc,