Sir, - Recently I had occasion to present myself at the Accident and Emergency department of a major Dublin hospital in the Taoiseach's own constituency. The reality of our health service was disturbing to behold as sick and injured people lay everywhere, the luckier ones on trolleys or seats and the less fortunate strewn on the floor in an area marked "trauma room"!
Despite the trojan efforts and embarrassment of all the staff involved, the waiting time for attention was six hours and rising (one 91-year-old man lay on a trolley for three days just days before). Privacy was in short supply and patient toilets apparently non-existent, unless one chose to run the gauntlet of jeers and comments emanating from a group of raucous adults congregated in an ante-room housing toilets of a third-world standard.
On recovery I was left to wonder why successive governments have ignored such pressing problems and in particular why this government has decided to invest millions in building projects such as Croke Park and the proposed National Stadium - not to mention the elimination of on-course betting tax - when the money involved could be used to invest in the proper staffing and infrastructure of such basic requirements.
Might I suggest that prior to drawing up this year's Budget, both the Taoiseach and Minister for Finance should address our real needs by arranging to spend a night sitting in the casualty department of one of our larger hospitals?
Lets hope our education service can avoid a similar fate. - Yours etc.,
Sean Higgins, Former president ASTI, Westway, Beabeg, Drogheda.