A chara, - Kathy Sheridan's article (The Irish Times, July 15th) concerning the appalling neglect by the State and its institutions of a 16-year-old victim of physical and sexual assault, quotes Cllr Eamonn O'Brien, a Labour Party member of the Eastern Regional Health Authority, as stating that the authority needed "a good PR response to what is going on in the media . . . We need to speak up to the media and say `Stop knocking us' . . ."
This is indeed an appalling statement from a member of the authority which has statutory responsibility for young homeless. What Cllr O'Brien is saying, in effect, is "blame the messenger". The fact is that the State - and in particular the health authority - was responsible for a major dereliction of its duty to ensure the safety and care of this young victim.
Cllr O'Brien and his colleagues do not need to spend any more taxpayers' money on public relations. What is required is the provision of proper services. Given the healthy state of the country's finances, is it too much to ask that vulnerable people should be cared for and protected? - Is mise,
Sean O Cionnaith, Thomas McDonagh Tower, Ballymun, Dublin 9.