Madam, - I note with hope/ disillusionment/ cynicism (delete according to the colour of your politics) the reference in your edition of July 26th to the fact that the Taoiseach and Mr Brian Cowen are "to work together" to target spending in "voter-sensitive" areas, including the health service.
Today I received a request from a friend to support him in a fund-raising effort on behalf of Our Lady's Hospital, Crumlin, the fourth such request I have received in relation to that good institution in the past six months.
While the efforts of all those involved in the fund-raising efforts (and indeed in providing care at Our Lady's Hospital) are entirely laudable, it is a sad state of affairs that charitable fund-raising now appears to have taken at least a part of the place of Department of Health funding.
Are our taxes not collected to cover precisely this type of expenditure, or, as a sensitive voter, have I just missed something? - Yours, etc.,
KERRI O'CONNELL, Sunbury Court, Dublin 6.