Here’s a pricing control Leo really should try out

Despite an adverse European court ruling, Health Minister Leo Varadkar says the Government is committed to the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol as he remains convinced that minimum unit pricing has a very important role to play in addressing this major public health challenge.

Can we now expect the minister to introduce maximum unit pricing for generic medicines in Ireland, which is almost three times that in the UK?

Commonly used generics cost more in Ireland than in any of the other nine European countries with which Ireland is traditionally bracketed for price purposes.

Just as minimum unit pricing for alcohol has a role to play in addressing a major public health challenge so too does maximum unit pricing for medicine.

Tom Cooper,

Templeogue, Dublin 6W.

After the floods…

I would like to make a suggestion that would help to reduce the flooding on the Shannon and all problem rivers.

Firstly, the Government must act by recruiting people who are unemployed. I reckon that a good few thousand people could be taken off the Live Register.

As an incentive, all those recruited would receive their full entitlement plus the minimum hourly rate for work done.

This would entail dredging, widening, cleaning and reinforcing river banks.

Surely we are entitled to some monetary relief from the EU to help with this work?

What the people want is action, not talk.

The project would be very costly at the beginning but would save millions in the long term. It will certainly help all the people affected by flooding to remain in their homes.

Tony Killoran, Tallaght, Dublin 24.

…Instead of the life of leisure enjoyed by convicted criminals, they should have been turfed out to assist with sandbags and other work in order to relieve those exhausted flood victims. Time for the Government show some backbone.

Mary Bolger, Fairview, Dublin 3

…Alan Kelly’s interview during the week in relation to the flooding had me gobsmacked for all the wrong reasons.

Having stated that the Government gave the greatest response ‘ever’ to the flood situation since early December by springing into action, and most of them coming back early from their long Christmas break, he leaves me wondering was he looking for a medal.

Having watched the remains of a person being transported on the back of a tractor and trailer through a flooded field to their final resting place in Co. Longford, the past weeks of this horrendous situation will stay with me for quite some time.

I sincerely hope that the €22m set aside for the 1916 Centenary year will be put to better use by helping the people who are homeless, out of business and

devastated by the loss of all their possessions.

Grace Bell, by email. …There is mounting pressure at the moment to provide insurance for all those living in flood-hit areas, most likely by compelling insurance companies to insure everyone, whatever the situation of their home.

We should think twice before pressing ahead with this, because ultimately the bill is going to be paid by all of us, whether in the form of higher taxes or large hikes in premiums.

There’s also a danger that any such scheme will encourage an off-hand attitude from developers and councils over future developments that are in potentially risky areas. If there’s a guarantee of insurance, then they will be less inclined to take all the necessary precautions and perhaps rule out certain highrisk sites.

Aidan Donnelly,

Greystones, Co. Wicklow.