Shortall deserves our admiration for stand

I admire former Labour TD Roisín Shortall for making a stand and following her conscience in resigning as Minister of State at the Department of Health.

Very few, (hardly any) resign, apart from her former Labour colleague Willie Penrose, who also resigned as a minister of state from this Government.

Most tend to hang in there, hoping for promotion to a senior level, and won’t rock the boat under any circumstances.

It is good to see, then, how there are a few in the Labour party who still believe their party is a socialist party, and that it means something to them.

In case there are some who do not know of Ms Shortall’s background, she used to be a teacher to children with profound lack of or no hearing, so it is safe to say she has some understanding for those who are vulnerable in society and why, I think, she entered politics.

She didn’t go for elections just to take up a seat in the Dáil, or to make up the numbers.

Her colleagues may see her as troublesome, but this is what they were all elected to do — to represent people and their needs and issues and to a degree, to be troublesome at times, if that is what it takes to get a positive outcome.

Mary Sullivan

College Rd

Cork