Sir, - Your report (February 20th) concerning last Wednesday's storms carries such phrases as "A man died from head injuries at 11.20 a.m. on a site near Carrick on Shannon after beating hit by an object apparently driven by high winds...
"Flights and ferries were cancelled, diverted or delayed.
"At the height of the strong winds and heavy rain, 12,000 homes across the State were without electricity.
"The Westlink bridge over the Liffey was closed to vans and lorries, causing severe congestion on Lucan roads.
"London Dublin flights were diverted to Shannon and Belfast . . .
"Winds of almost 90 mph were recorded at Belmullet . . .
"Mullingar had 7.2mm of rain in just two hours between 1 and 3 p.m."
Yet on the RTE main evening news bulletin at 9 p.m. this subject was relegated to the "And finally . . ." slot, which usually features such jokey items as the cat which swallowed a ball of wool and had mittens. It would seem that the attitude in the RTE newsroom is totally detached from reality. - Yours, etc.,
Laurel Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.