Whose ‘choice’ was our two-tier health system?

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney’s reaction to the regrettable Roscommon cheese-throwing incident makes for very depressing and worrying reading.

She first sought to lecture us by stating that “politics is about choices, it’s about argument and a debate” and then went on to give the impression that she actually believes her privatisation of healthcare policy and the resulting copperfastening of the two-tier discriminatory system that she is creating is part of the ‘mainstream agenda’ by claiming those protesting are “of a different persuasion than the mainstream parties in this country... ”

For more than two years now, as more and more people have come to see through precisely what she is doing, thousands and thousands of people have taken to the streets in protest at her policies, yet she chooses to ignore that and carry on regardless.

So much for “argument”, so much for “debate”.

And is Ms Harney seriously trying to tell us the majority of people of this country want taxpayers’ money diverted to support privatised services to the obvious detriment of the public one?

Is she seriously trying to tell us the Irish people are seeking, or are happy with, a two-tier system that has resulted in very serious consequences for those unfortunate enough not able to afford private health insurance?

Is it not long past time Ms Harney stopped the destruction of our public system and genuinely consulted with the people of Ireland with regard to what kind of service they want?

She will very quickly find that the dangerously discriminatory policies that place healthcare at arm’s length from so many in the community is not what is wanted.

And just in case she happens to be in listening mode, a general election is at this stage the vast majority’s preferred method for engaging in this “debate”.

Jim O’Sullivan

Rathedmond

Sligo