Sir, - Nuala O'Faolain's excellent and timely article "Has anyone seen Winnie?" (The Irish Times, December 20th) was a stark reminder of a stable/shed we remember at Christmas time. That stable at least had the animals and human beings sharing a simple warm space. Winnie was alone. The portrayal of the life of a young woman living in such conditions at a time of great prosperity raises a number of questions, not least about the whole issue of poverty and how it is portrayed.
It has become almost old-fashioned or ill-informed in the field of poverty to discuss the human condition, the pain, misery, frustration, strength and hope of the human spirit as simply expressed in this article. Much more important, it seems, is to discuss statistics, strategies, categories, computers, clients, and partnerships. But only when the human being is allowed to take centre stage can we make progress. Statistics alone can bind us to the reality of what is happening. Some argue they are necessary to plan services. However, each statistic has a different story and a solution that may require more creative and individual responses.
A fraction of the money spent on the many conferences on poverty at home and abroad would go some way to providing better accommodation for many citizens of this State.
This Christmas, Nuala O'Faolain's article, Micheal O Siadhail's Christmas-card poem Outsider from A Fragile City, and Jimmy McCarthy's interview on Kenny Live spoke more about the reality of the marginalised human beings we daily meet than much of what is contained in the numerous reports produced. "Medicating" complex human beings appears now to be in many cases a more acceptable option than providing appropriate care. Five years ago Pauline made national headlines when she died in the cold. What has changed? Or has anything changed? - Yours, etc.,
Director, Trust, Bride Road, Dublin 8.