Sir, – The Tánaiste says mixed retailers should separate their stock and only sell the items that are essential, but who defines essential?
Vegans would say meat products are not essential. Are biscuits or chocolate essential? Should mixed retailers separate and stop selling beer and wine like they do on Sunday mornings?
One thing that kept me sane during these difficult times was the plants and mystery items that appear in Lidl and Aldi middle aisles: are they essential for my mental health? Or the mental health of parents who find a new toy to distract the kids while they cook the food they bought alongside it?
If we all followed mask, distance and cleaning routines better we would not have the numbers we have. I think it would be better for the gardaí, with the assistance of all of us, to police these properly than attempt this segregation. – Yours, etc,
DAVID DOYLE,
Goatstown,
Dublin 14.