Michael Clifford's excellent analysis (Sunday Tribune, 13 December) of Brian Lenihan's latest budget was marred by his description of the scrappage scheme as being "a bit Irish". I presume he meant 'blundering, self-contradictory, bull-making' (Chambers Dictionary definition). Nowadays, a foreign publication using this term would rightly be accused of racism. Its usage in 2009 by an intelligent and articulate native Irishman is quite bewildering.


John Breheny,


Dublin 8


brehenyjohn@eircom.net