Madam, - As a citizen of this State I found myself despairing while watching live coverage of Mr Ahern's final day in the Dáil as Taoiseach. Opposition leaders, one after the other, heaped praise upon Bertie for all his accomplishments. I wondered to myself what calibre of Opposition this country has, as they seemed to be oblivious to any failings on Mr Ahern's part, primarily our decaying public health service and the abhorrent drive towards a two-tier health system.
As leader, Bertie Ahern must take full responsibility for a system that supports and encourages the ugliness of a system where the people who "have" gain more and the less well-off are at the bottom in a health service slowly being sold to the private sector.
The role of an Opposition party is to hold government to account no matter how it "plays" in the media. Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Sinn Féin did exactly that by giving praise where deserved and reminding us all of the Taoiseach's legacy in regard to our terribly ill health system. - Yours, etc,
JOHN BURKE, Dublin 9.