Sir, - The Tanaiste, Mary Harney, argues (Opinion, February 26th) that her PD party is in reality the true champion of social democracy. Could this be the same Mary Harney who so recently told us that Ireland was closer to Boston than Berlin? One can only assume that she has conjured up her own version - some oxymoronic Thatcherite brand - of social democracy. Fianna Fail, her coalition partner in Government, assures us that it too is a genuine social democratic party. What have these soi-disant social democrats delivered?
The Church of Ireland Archdeacon of Dublin, Dr Gordon Linny, forcefully condemned "a regime in sickening dishonesty and exploitation by Government and State agencies" aimed at the old, according to Patsy McGarry in the same issue of your paper. Dr Linny said the recent Ombudsman's report exposed the "consistent policy of the Department of Health and some health boards to deprive frail and sick elderly people of their statutory entitlement to free institutional care".
He knew what the courts would do to someone who robbed the old or vulnerable or knowingly caused them distress, yet "that is what happened here, except the offenders are not pathetic miserable drug addicts but suited, respectable men and women in positions of power who are almost beyond the law". There seemed to be "no sense of shame or wrongdoing anywhere in the political parties or among the civil servants involved".
The country is awash with wealth, yet we have a widening gap between rich and poor, unaffordable housing (arguably the worst in the EU), increasing homelessness, a dysfunctional healthcare system, run-down primary schools, serious adult illiteracy, rampant crime, a woefully ineffective public transport system, gridlocked traffic and the worst road fatality rate in the EU. we have a country choking with litter, polluted rivers and lakes, vanishing fish stocks, BSE and a raft of other top-level scandals.
Our quality of life deteriorates while our leaders smugly tell us how wonderfully well we are doing. The Tanaiste can say what she likes but it does not change the FF/PD hard reality. The true champions of social democracy? Surely you're joking, Ms Harney? - Yours, etc.,
Myles Crowe, Old Brewery Lane, Clonakilty, Co Cork.