What iceberg?

I stopped trying to figure out where to start when describing Mary Harney. Its not easy to accurately describe her, its virtually impossible to understand her and try as you might you cant remain objective. There is no neutral ground when it comes to your health, you're either with her policies or against them.
I make no apology for being against them, Ive seen nothing worthy of support. I find it strange that a woman who recieved less then 5000 1st preference votes, belonging to a now defuct party has control over the health services of almost 5 million people. Stranger still is that shes still there, but then when you consider who sits along side her on the front benches, maybe its not that strange after all.
In line with the 'revolutionary' thinking of her party, free market policies were incorporated into our health services, economies of scale, centralisation, privatisation would solve our woes. We pumped in more money then ever, hired more managers and consultants and lets not forget co-location to free up all those badly needed beds, the future should be rosy, free and equitable health for all, all we had to do was wait........
And wait we did, 3 years on and co-location has yet to yield a single extra bed, waiting times have increased, the HSE now resembling its creator has become bloated only with consultancy firms and managers and even now with a budget of 16 billion a year, we still cant afford €14 million to immunise 12 years olds and save up to 90 lives a year. €14 million for 90 lives, thats about €150,000 per life, thats less than you pay in overtime to private consultants Mary, you know like the ones who work for MKC.

I wonder how much MRPA KINMAN (now MKC) made in consultancy fees, working for the HSE? Weren't they the same firm that set up HIQA? Aren't they the same firm chaired by Brian Geoghegan? Isn't he married to the minister for health?
I wonder how much money Brian Geoghegan makes from the carparks in our PUBLIC hospitals, better still I wonder how he got contracts for carparks in public hospitals?
I wonder how much of that €14m needed to save 90 lives a year goes to Mary Harneys husband, goes to Mary harney?
Im not sure when Adam Smith spoke of the 'invisble hand', this is quite what he meant, I think the PD's (2 of whom also happen to be directors of MKC) got their free market economics confused with cronyism and cowenomics. Even the free market is not this callous, surely 12 years olds are more important than profit margins Mary? then again, maybe not.
So where do you draw the line Mary? When does the health of these people supercede the interests of the shareholder?
The elderly,
The disabled,
Cancer patients,
Children,
Medical card holders,
Prescription drugs,
Whos left? The mentally ill- no, Its a long time since you gave up on them- no profit there but cancer patients, thats where the real money is.
In the Northwest theres not enough patients to justify radiotherapy in a public facility but there are enough 'customers' to justify it, in subsidised unregulated private hospitals. But its not about profits is it Mary? its about beds or rather the lack of them, you'ld never subsidise private hospitals so they could cherry pick the profitably procedures?
Would you?

Like I said at the start its hard to describe someone like Harney, egotistical, apathetic, dishonest, hypocritical and greedy go some of the way but not far enough.
This ship is definitely going down Mary and once again the lifeboats are full, and its the people in steering class that are getting screwed but what do you care?
You're gone one way or the other, the only question is whether you walk through the door or get pushed and when.