Sir, – Fintan O'Toole's remedy for the health service is all too familiar – raise taxes ("We must raise taxes if we want to improve public services", Opinion & Analysis, August 11th). Yet he shies away from addressing the difficult question of where the money currently allocated is spent.
How about instead we look at the value for money delivered by our health service, in particular our highly remunerated medics? Ireland is unusual in providing medics with the opportunity to earn US-style salaries while providing the benefits of a western European system.
This duality begins at the earliest stage of medical training whereby students can benefit from a world-renowned training system at negligible cost. Upon graduation many will then flee to the US to earn fantastic salaries, unburdened by the six-figure student debt which their American colleagues will typically carry from medical school. In turn, Ireland poaches doctors from less developed countries who can scarcely afford to lose them.
The new graduate entry scheme for medical training has a more realistic approach to funding. It is time that all of those who receive incredibly expensive training courtesy of the Irish taxpayer pledge to return the favour, either by remaining in Ireland for a reasonable period or by reimbursing the expense of their training. – Yours, etc,
MATTHEW GLOVER,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.