Madam, – Every time Mary Harney attends the opening of a private healthcare facility she is subjected to attack from certain quarters. Two letters in your edition of February 5th cast aspersions on the fact that Ms Harney officially opened the Vista medical centre in Naas. This superb new facility, built at a cost of €25 million by Ulick McEvaddy, and housing state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, will employ over 100 people. The complex will be available to private and public patients and its facilities will also be used by the HSE.
Do your correspondents believe the appropriate action would be for Ms Harney to shun the opening of this significant new medical resource? Should she be unhappy that Mr McEvaddy has invested such a massive sum in healthcare? Should she frown on the fact that he has bought cutting-edge technology to detect health problems? Should she be happier if he had invested his money in a golf course?
Mary Harney has secured massive extra funding for public healthcare. She has dedicated her ministry to make real and lasting improvements in healthcare. Do people seriously believe she should ignore or resent the contribution that private investment can make? – Yours, etc,