A chara, - Arising from coverage of the Tanaiste's announcement of objectives for greater balance in regional development in respect of Enterprise Ireland's three-year targets (February 6th), a number of points appear to require clarification, particularly from a Northwest region perspective.
Firstly, the Tanaiste is to be sincerely congratulated on her efforts to firmly establish targets for development agencies to deliver additional achievements in the BMW region where there is unanimity that development has lagged behind.
Secondly, setting an Enterprise Ireland target of 30 per cent of financial support to projects in the BMW region is likewise to be welcomed. While funding and job creation are not very low incomes, it is only socially just to assist these citizens when they get older and require additional medical insurance and care, due to the higher incidence of illness associated with the ageing process.
I was very surprised indeed to discover that a certain number of general practitioners did not approve of the proposed new system for medical cards, particularly without means-testing, as they were concerned that without means-testing, what they term "wealthy retirees" would get into the system, but they failed to admit that the so-called "wealthy retirees" had contributed huge income-tax payments during their working lives.
It is surprising that a certain amount of GPs have spoken in such negative terms about the introduction of such a very worthwhile system. Do the same people object to senior citizens receiving the "free travel pass"? The old proverb would be very appropriate: "Who so diggith the pit shall fall therein". - Yours, etc.,
Pat Fitzgerald, Newtown, Waterford.