SEAN O'BRIEN,
Madam, - Colm McCarthy's assertion that Charlie McCreevy's Ireland is a land of "tax and spend" is ludicrous (November 15th). Current government spending fell from 35.5 per cent of GNP to 29.7 per cent in 1999. Despite rapid increases and overruns in the last two years, it is unlikely to exceed 33 per cent this year. The Book of Estimates makes plain that the intention is to return to a downward path. Even with the extra €2 billion which Mr McCarthy fears, that ratio would be broadly stable next year, and well short of the figure of 36.5 per cent which Mr McCreevy inherited in 1997.
This is nothing to be proud of. Ireland continues to have one of the lowest ratios of public expenditure to GNP in the EU, despite rapid and necessary increases in capital spending in recent years. That level of capital investment needs to be maintained if Irish competitiveness is to be maintained in the future.
The cuts announced in the Book of Estimates will cost jobs in future years. Because such capital investment yields a return over many decades, it is sensible for a low-debt country such as Ireland to borrow to fund that investment.
Our low level of current spending is reflected in the poor quality of our public services and in the pressures on front line staff in services such as health and education.
The solution is sustained and sustainable increases in current expenditure to improve services. Gradually increasing the ratio of spending to GNP over a period of years would allow a proper focus on delivering value for money for taxpayers. Splurging on spending before elections and drastically cutting afterwards does not. - Yours, etc.,
Senator DEREK McDOWELL, Labour Seanad Spokesperson on Finance, Seanad Éireann, Dublin 2.
Madam, - Once again, due to a lack of funds, a significant number of primary schools wil not have access to a computer for educational purposes.
However, there is a bright side to this cash shortfall: some schools will be able to keep an intelligent mouse or two on their premises. - Yours, etc.,
SEAN O'BRIEN, Carnanes South, Kilrush, Co. Clare.
Madam, - Adults with depression are among those severely affected by a shortage in clinical psychologists according to Sylvia Thompson's revealing article (November 18th). It made depressing reading, particularly at a time when suicides by young males are almost a commonplace news item.
On behalf of my colleagues in the psychiatric services I can state categorically that cutbacks by the Department of Health in the training of clinical psychologists will have a devastating effect on long-term prevention of psychiatric disorders.
How short-sighted of the Department of Health to cut back on the training of professionals who are the front-line assessors of persons at most risk.
It is extraordinary that the Department of Health should treat with a tunnel vision approach almost bordering on contempt a major report which specified the need for 50 newly qualified clinical psychologists a year in the Eastern Health Board area, alone. The Department of Health will now only fund 30 places every three years!
The psychiatric services are picking up the pieces and attempting to deal with patients who have never been assessed psychologically and in the current climate of proposed cutbacks, most likely never will. As a worker in the psychiatric service it is so sad and frustrating that drug therapy is resorted to in the absence of psychological management.
The mind boggles that ordinary people are sitting back and accepting with apathy a situation so serious that when another young male is fished out of the river or cut down in a country barn, the very people who should be there to help, advise and counsel have been told there is no money to train them. - Yours, etc.,
BRIAN McCARTHY, Victoria Terrace, Dundrum, Dublin 14.
Madam, - In this time of cutbacks why is nobody questioning the roads programme? The Government is committed to providing roads that can carry up to 70,000 vehicles a day, when the projected traffic for 2025 on some of the routes is 10-15,000 per day.The Government's targets for time savings and quality of journey on the inter-urban routes can be met at a fraction of the cost of the present programme, by simply building the type of road that carries 20-25,000 per day.
Imagine what a health service or quality of school buildings we could have if the same level of over-provision was given to those sectors. - Yours, etc.,
BRIAN HODKINSON Annaholty, Birdhill, Co. Tipperary