Sir, - Carmel Wynne (Education and Living, May 11th) poses the question: "Given the choice, which do you think people would choose - to spend money on services that have the potential to build self-esteem and teach healthy relationship skills or on computers and service equipment?"
To answer her question, I refer her to any book of estimates of government spending for public services published in recent decades. A simple analysis will show the minuscule contributions made to the services which she so rightly says are essential for a healthy society.
The sad reality is that due to a complete imbalance in our society, we are hooked into requiring instant responses, instant results. It is far easier to focus on 12 computers, which are tangible, than on 12 programmes on self-esteem, which, of their very nature, are not.
This is symptomatic of a society where crisis management takes precedence over prevention, short-term gains take precedence over long-term strategic thinking and the quick fix is preferable to a quick and effective, grounded response to the realities of life in Ireland in 1999.
How can we regain a human balance and perspective? - Yours, etc., Ruth Barror, Chief Executive, Marriage and Relationship Counselling Services,
Grafton Street, Dublin 2