Madam, - Far be it from anyone else to enter the dispute over tax and spending between Jim O'Leary and Paul Sweeney, but I have to take issue with Mr Sweeney's double-edged invocation of the Tánaiste to support his case (December 7th).
He claims that "even" the Tánaiste, "in spite of her ideology, now agrees with increased spending on health".
First, the Tánaiste is not driven by ideology, but by her experience of what works, based on our country's recent record.Ideology, if not in one's own head, can only be in the eye of the beholder. I suggest it would be fairer for Paul Sweeney simply to accept the Tánaiste's own view of how she forms her ideas and policies.
Second, the Tánaiste has, as the leader of a party in a coalition Government, helped to form the past eight budgets and estimates, all of which have included large increases in health spending.
She is no recent convert to a policy of increasing health funding and, equally, she has long emphasised the need for real reform to make public spending increases work for patients' interests.
Finally, the Tánaiste's and the Government's policy remains that a low-tax, pro-enterprise economy will best generate increased resources for public services within a prudent budgetary framework. - Yours, etc.,
IARLA MONGEY,
Deputy Government Press Secretary,
Government Buildings,
Dublin 2.