Madam, - Rory Ahern's letter of June 3rd was a very valuable contribution to this debate. His conclusions are quite alarming, especially as he has been researching the subject for four years.
Working in the front line with people who are homeless, we are all too aware about how easily the people directly affected can seem not to matter at all if money can be saved in the provision of public services.
Perhaps what is most disturbing is his finding that in some instances PPPs can be more expensive than direct public provision, the inference being that human suffering is being inflicted unnecessarily in pursuit of an ideology that seems to imply that making profits is more important than people.
Even more alarming is the idea that the taxpayer is subsidising the making of profits in the provision of public services, given that they can be provided more cheaply by direct State provision. This undermines any notion of fairness and justice. That finding alone should result in calls for a public inquiry. - Yours, etc,
ALICE LEAHY, Director & Co-Founder, TRUST, Dublin 8.