Madam, - Eileen Battersby in her article on Headfort House (May 17th) seems to imply that the Irish taxpayer should contribute €300,000 towards its repair. Headfort House is owned by a trust controlled by very wealthy people and leased to a private school attended by children whose parents pay large fees to ensure that their children meet only other wealthy children. While many Irish children attend overcrowded schools, some of which have leaking roofs and unsanitary toilet facilities, spending taxpayers' money on Headfort House should hardly be a priority.
If the trustees and the parents of the children attending the school wished, they could undoubtedly find a "tax efficient" way of contributing the money needed. - Yours, etc,
S. BYRNE,
Sutton Park,
Dublin 13.