Madam, - Paul McAuliffe, the Progressive Democrats' regional organiser for Dublin, claims the biggest mistake his party made "was to allow out critics to define us as a right-wing fringe, bent on only serving the wealthy" (July 17th). I am afraid the PDs define themselves.
Take the health service, where PD policy was given free rein and the profit ethos now dominates. From primary care, where branded GP clinics are being set up in the most lucrative areas, to the privatisation of huge chunks of hospital services, to selling of valuable public hospital property to "entrepreneurs", to the dumbing-down of third-level medical qualifications - all these deliberate policies assist in the maximising of profit by the already wealthy and the running-down of the public health service for the not so wealthy.
Viewing developments in the health service over the past few years, one doesn't have to be too politically conscious to interpret the PDs' economic policy as being on the extreme right. - Yours, etc,
JOHN WILLIAMS,
Circular Road,
Kilkee,
Co Clare.