Why should opposition share the blame?

WOULD the Irish Examiner care to confirm that its editorial (‘Cross-party response to crisis needed’, November 29) was not a verbatim reproduction of a PD press release?

It certainly read like one. Chiding opposition politicians as opportunist — the now predictable complaint of a jaded Government whenever its incompetence is exposed — is really too bad.

It was the opposition, not the Government, who by the strength of their own and the public feeling on the matter managed to secure a much-needed democratic debate. That is not opportunism and it is political spindoctoring of the worst kind to suggest it is. The call for cross-party support is disingenuous. The PDs are pursuing an ideological mission with the health service, and have been doing so for more than a decade.

The opposition parties are not responsible for the disasters arising in the health service as a consequence of the Government’s deeply unpopular privatisation policies. Why should any political party sign up to sharing the blame for what the Government is doing?

Miriam Cotton

Woodlands

Clonakilty

Co Cork