Madam, - The whole debate regarding the change in panel for last Fridays Late Late Show indicates once again the human desire for a good conspiracy theory.
Why, when RTÉ has stated that it was its staff, of their own volition, who decided to change the panel, can people not accept that this is the case? The Crown affair, as it has become known, seems to be another stick with which people are seeking to beat the Government. - Yours, etc,
J.J. MURPHY, Seacourt, Clontarf, Dublin 3.
Madam, - Prof John Crown is internationally recognised as an expert on the treatment of cancer. He has also been a vocal and articulate critic of government and HSE policy in this area. In my opinion this criticism is thoroughly deserved.
Furthermore, I have little doubt that many Irish cancer patients have suffered and died because of the failure of administrators to deliver the type of services that were needed and recommended.
It is therefore truly disgraceful that the national broadcaster chose to drop Prof Crown from last week's Late Late Show. This decision was taken on the basis that allowing such an expert to comment could be interpreted as leading to an "unbalanced" discussion.
It should noted that Minister for Health Mary Harney was invited to participate in this debate but refused to do so. This is not surprising, given the failure of the Government and its 18,000 administrators to implement the O'Higgins report of 2000 which proposed 13 breast cancer "centres of excellence" in Ireland. Needless to say none of these facilities was created, and the consequences were tragic for many Irish women.
Prof John Crown is an example to all of us of us who work in the health service. RTÉ should hang its heads in shame. - Yours, etc,
Dr RUAIRI HANLEY (Columnist, Medicine Weekly), Drogheda, Co Louth.