Madam, - Micheál Ó Braoin (December 22nd) argues that plants feel pain and if we eat plants it is therefore acceptable to eat animals.
But even if one were to accept that plants feel pain, it would still be preferable to eat only plants for two reasons.
Firstly - and I presume Mr Ó Braoin would agree with this - animals are capable of feeling much more pain than plants, so less suffering is caused by eating plants.
Secondly, the energy inefficiency of producing meat means that those who eat meat are responsible for the indirect destruction of at least 10 times more plants than vegetarians. Again, less suffering results, even if we accept Mr Ó Braoin's spurious argument that plants can feel pain.
It appears to me that Mr Ó Braoin is just looking for a feeble excuse to go on eating meat. - Yours, etc,
DERMOT DONNELLY, Balbriggan, Co Dublin.