Madam, - This week's RTÉ Prime Time programme was heartbreaking. Can our prosperous country have a system of care for the elderly that is so unmoved by their cries of distress, unsympathetic to their vulnerability and indifferent to their dignity as human beings?
Bypasses, sports arenas, incinerators - even dare I say it, EU referendums - can and must wait. The catastrophe of our suffering old folk has to be tackled now. Never mind inquiries, investigations, tribunals, new inspection procedures, et al. They too can wait. This is a human tragedy within our borders and must be addressed urgently in the same practical way in which we responded to the tsunami and Band Aid appeals. - Yours, etc,
RÓNÁN MURRAY,
Brookview Gardens,
Arklow,
Co Wicklow.
Madam, - The issues raised by Prime Time are shocking and horrifying to say the very least and require urgent and comprehensive attention.
That some of the most vulnerable members of our society should depend on journalists to highlight their neglect, abuse and sub-standard care is a national disgrace. Those involved in bringing this matter so graphically to our attention are to be congratulated.
I hope that those directly involved in such sickening neglect are not only called to account for their actions but are also subjected to the full rigours of the law. - Yours, etc,
Dr BERNADETTE BRADY,
Hillside Park,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.