Sir, - Joe Humphrey's article (July 10th) regarding the last-minute road improvements for the Tour de France adequately reflects the Government's lack of an overall national road maintenance policy. Compare two small EU economies. Ireland has a land area of 68,890 sq km with 92,430 km of roads and over 4 million inhabitants. Finland has a land area of 305,470 sq km with 338,000 km of roads and just 5 million inhabitants. With a sparse population, vast road distances to maintain (with the added effects of studded-tyre traffic for five winter months of the year), Finland manages to provide superior quality roads to those in Ireland. The statistics speak for themselves. - Yours, etc.,
Niall O'Donoghue,
Jyvaskyla,
Finland.