Madam, - Having just spent 10 weeks in two different Dublin hospitals, where a very high percentage of the staff were Filipinos, I very quickly became aware of the huge debt of gratitude Ireland owes these people. Without their assistance our health services would be in extreme difficulties, if not in chaos, particularly in our Dublin hospitals.
The Filipinos are a very likeable people with so many admirable qualities. They are efficient, gentle, polite, caring, good humoured and every request is attended to with a cheerful "No problem". (In fairness, I must add that the Irish nurses I met during my long stay in hospital were equally courteous, efficient and caring.)
Many of these Filipinos are working under great stress, anxiety and worry which they never allow to surface during their working hours. They have come here because of unemployment and poverty in their own country. Many are mothers now separated from their own children. What a heavy cross to carry - and nobody should understand it better than the Irish, unless of course we have very short memories.
Bureaucracy in this country does these people no favours. Often their work experience in Filipino hospitals is not taken into account when deciding what salary they should receive. Judging by some of the problems encountered by these young mothers wishing to be reunited with their young children, one cannot help wondering if some official policies are tainted by racism.
It seems the Celtic Tiger has devoured our traditional céad míle fáilte and replaced it with three false "gods" - greed, money and power. - Yours, etc.,
Father TONY FARRELL, Manor Kilbride, Co Wicklow.