Sir, - Dennis Aylmer (March 21st) is to be commended for highlighting the deficiencies in foot and mouth prevention at Charles de Gaulle Airport - and of course, one assumes that, having mingled with the unclean, he himself had all his clothes dry-cleaned prior to returning home and also insisted on an isolation tank being provided by Aer Lingus.
But surely his concerns do not go far enough. Now that we know that foot-and-mouth is airborne we need to increase our own precautions, not reduce them. I suggest that a joint mission by our Defence Forces and Dublin Fire Brigade be established to spray disinfectant on all incoming planes as they approach Dublin Airport. Huge pieces of carpet soaked in washing soda should also be placed at either end of the runways. In addition, the Met Office should be consulted on how to change the direction of the east wind.
How else can we continue our claim to moral superiority over our neighbours? - Yours, etc.,
Kieran Hickland, Doon, Kilrickle, Co Galway.