Madam, - Recent letters from Cllr Deirdre de Burca (December 19th) and Mr Jim O'Sullivan (December 24th) have pointed to the negative consequences of the kind of policies we have been following in Ireland.
Most Irish people of mature years grew up in a country where the State neglected its social responsibilities. When more attention began belatedly to be given to education and health care from the late 1960s on, one could have expected that it would have been only a matter of time before Ireland would move towards a North European social democratic model of society.
A society without extremes of wealth and poverty, with high scores on most of the indicators of quality of life and clean, high-quality built environments - who would not want to make that choice? Why has collective Ireland made such a poor choice?
Brendan Killeen's Letter from Copenhagen (December 24th) says it all. But why did he have to go to Copenhagen to experience that quality of life? Why have so many Irish people acquiesced in policies which result in social division, low life-expectancy, a poor built environment and degradation of what used to be, in comparison with that of most of our neighbours, an unspoilt natural environment? - Yours, etc.,
MARY CHAMBERS,
Cedar Court,
Mount Tallant Avenue,
Dublin 6W.