Madam, - Joy Mawhinney's and Niall O'Donoghue's (February 14th and 19th) ideas on the provision and building of skateboarding rinks by local authorities with the help of local youth clubs are excellent and seem exactly the sort of physical and mental distraction the youth of today craves for and requires.
Projects like these could contribute in solving a great number of issues readers of this paper so often comment about: keeping youths off street corners, growing obesity levels amongst the young, etc.
Sadly and gallingly, this will remain but a half-pipe dream. The reality is that the "compo" culture prevailing in this country will prevent anything like this ever getting due consideration. It seems we are our own worst enemies. - Yours, etc.,
PADDY METTLER,
Stoneybatter,
Dublin 7.