Madam, – There are 569 ill or injured patients suffering on trolleys (Front page, January 6th)because there are not enough doctors. The State is investing almost €100,000 to train each new nurse, most of whom will immediately emigrate and bring their skills abroad, as vacancies in Ireland are not being filled owing to the Government embargo on recruitment. Under the botched HSE redundancy and retirement scheme very few of the targeted management and administration staff will depart, but a significant number of the already-depleted catering support staff left at end of 2010. Accordingly, the remaining staff in some hospitals are already struggling to be able serve meals to ill patients.
Against this background, it has been reported that our Ministers are in the process of stuffing over 300 friends and cronies onto the boards of State agencies and quangos prior to the long-overdue general election. The Government advisers have already stated that a significant number of these agencies should be abolished.
Our Ministers have angrily rejected accusations of putting politics before national interest, and have dismissed accurate allegations of economic treason.
Who decided that the needs of sick and ill patients are less important than the need to fill board positions on organisations whose purpose nobody can understand. Why aren’t these board positions covered by the embargo that prevents recruitment to essential front line services? We are willing to pay Ministers Dermot Ahern and Noel Dempsey pensions that are €40,000 higher than they would earn as TDs if they agree to stay out of politics. We are even willing to pay former taoiseach Bertie Ahern €70,000 extra if he will stay in his cupboard. If the Government wants to demonstrate one last ounce of patriotism or national interest, it should immediately announce an early election date, then quietly disappear. – Yours, etc,