Sir, - If and when the present shenanigans come to an end, many new prison places will be required to accommodate corrupt politicians, dubious bankers, planning officials, corrupt politicians, drug barons, tax evaders, subversive anarchists, brothel keepers, crooked accountants and more corrupt politicians.
Now is the time to make the necessary preparations to meet the demand for increased prison accommodation.
I suggest that Innisvickillane island be immediately repossessed by the State and that work should now begin on building a state penitentiary there. This should be, of necessity, a fairly large structure with clean, Spartan accommodation and definitely no helicopter pad.
Naturally, none of the prisoners would be allowed access to a boat of any description.
A special prison barge would, once a month, ferry relatives of the inmates to the island for a one-hour visit. There would, of course, be a "leaving Ireland tax" of £5 per person and an "Arriving at Innisvickillane Tax" of £5. A similar arrangement would apply to the return journey.
If this suggestion is adopted our existing prisons will be less crowded and perhaps a little more comfortable for people like the unmarried mother who was sent to prison because her television licence was out of date. - Yours, etc., W. Lionel McKee,
Ard na Mara, Malahide, Co Dublin.