Sir, - Aine Ni Chonaill's latest proposal (March 27th) to allow immigration along market lines "to the degree we need and of the type we need", has interesting implications. In the event of an economic downturn and its consequent rise in unemployment, would we then be urged to ask immigrants to leave, so as to keep our workforce at optimum levels? Would this extend to regulating surpluses of those whose "type" was now redundant? The real threat comes not from an immigrant "invasion", but rather from one-dimensional and misleading rhetoric. - Yours, etc.,
Richard Waghorne, Lower Dodder Rd., Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.