Madam, - I always enjoy Dr Michael Casey's quixotic observations on the ills of Irish life, and live in expectation that one day he will tell us from what planet he sends his articles. But I am puzzled by his latest piece (Opinion & Analysis, December 4th). Political leaders from Alex Salmond in Edinburgh to Donald Tusk in Warsaw point to Ireland as a case study of excellence in economic development planning and execution over the past 20 years. I work regularly in other European countries and am constantly queried about Ireland.
I try to give a balanced picture, but always stress the lack of acceptable progress in areas such as health, old age and disability. For Dr Casey to rubbish all aspects of Irish progress in such an indiscriminate way, from a vantage point in the IMF, flies in the face of the informed judgment of the rest of the world. - Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN BRADLEY,
Bloomfield Avenue,
Portobello,
Dublin 8.