Sir, - Vincent Browne's column on the purchase of Farmleigh by the State (Opinion, June 23rd) was naive in the extreme. His thinking reminded me of sterile Stalanist argument circa 1937. He seems not to recognise that we live in a democracy with many competing demands made on government from various sources.
I strongly agree with his arguments for a well-funded drug treatment programme for Mountjoy, but this is a question of current ongoing expenditure, not of a once-off capital cost regarding a stately home being brought into public ownership. In my opinion he has trivialised a very serious issue - drug treatment and its funding.
I hope Mr Browne will join us in the real world next week after his interesting but ultimately fruitless trip to Utopia. - Yours, etc. David Whelan,
North Strand, Dublin 3.