No sympathy for rip-off pubs and hotels

AS an ex-smoker I sympathise with those who are used to a puff and a drink, but I have no sympathy for publicans moaning over the recent drop in sales — these are the very people who put 30 cent on every long-neck bottle after the last budget, when the only increase was supposed to be for alco-pops.

They’ll also put up the price of the pint whenever it suits them.

As for hotels which charge exorbitant prices for accommodation, food and drink, no wonder we are having a fall-off in our tourism industry.

Instead of heading off to America recently, the delegation from the Irish Hospitality Industries Association should have stayed a bit nearer home, like Spain, and see how they treat their tourists in relation to prices.

There is still plenty time to put in structures to facilitate smokers in public areas, but that costs money and there are no grants. I’ll say no more.

Henry Cremin,

35, Greenfield,

Model Farm Road,

Cork.