A picture of how the Finns view us emerged from the Helsinki offices of Reuters this week when it announced that the energy group, Fortum, is proposing to build a 400-megawatt power station in partnership with Bord na Mona and the French gas company, Elf Acquitaine Gaz.

Readers were informed that Fortum is already involved in the construction of a power station in Edenderry, Co Offaly, "which will burn peat from Kildare swamps".

Visiting company executives will no doubt be approaching the malaria-infested surroundings of Co Kildare, the location for their latest venture, with due caution.