Sir, – A landmark judgment was made by the High Court on Wednesday when the brave elderly residents of a Midlands nursing home (Abbeyleix Community Nursing Unit) won their case and got a decision of this Government overturned (“Uncertainty over nursing unit’s future”, Home News, December 8th).
All they wanted was to remain where they were, happy with the very best of care. But a health discrimination time-bomb was created in the Budget whereby public hospitals must collect €134 million from private patients who use hospital beds, thus creating an incentive for public hospitals to treat private patients before public patients so as to be able to live within the budgets allowed to each region by the Minister.
How can Fine Gael and Labour TDs return home to their constituencies, look the people straight in the eye and say “we voted for a Budget that openly discriminated against the sick and the disabled” only for the bravery of a few who spoke out shamed the Government into U-turns?.
Well done to the elderly Midland residents. They should be an inspiration to us never to be governed by dictatorial regimes. “Is feider linn,” as Obama said – but only if we are brave. – Yours, etc,