Madam, - John de Courcy Ireland writes (October 22nd) that it was "a disgrace" that the Irish government did not order vessels from Harland & Wolff for the Irish Shipping Company after the second World War.
In 1945 Mr Sean Lemass, Minister for Industry and Commerce and for Supplies, requested Mr John Leydon, Secretary of the Department of Industry and Commerce and Chairman of Irish Shipping Ltd., to place an order with Harland & Wolff for the building of a vessel for Irish Shipping.
Mr Leydon duly reported that Harland and Wolff had declined to quote.
The Minister then directed that the order be offered to Harland & Wolff on the basis that on completion their price would be paid.
Messrs Harland and Wolff declined to accept the order. - Yours, etc.,
M.K. O'DOHERTY, (Former Private Secretary to the Minister for
Industry and Commerce and for Supplies), Serpentine Road, Dublin 4.