Hissy fits and squabbles won’t help health crisis

IS IT just me or is everyone else impatient with our leaders and their version of musical chairs?

We, the people, having been without government for almost five months, require our politicians to hit the ground running. We don’t care for hissy fits or internecine squabbles.

We want to physically see the acolytes and minions of Cabinet Ministers fan out, taking the pulse of the horrible situation left by Covid-19. We want their recommendations implemented. Now.

One does fail to see the logic of handing Simon Harris’s poisoned chalice to a neophyte. No doubt Stephen Donnelly is capable, but he is inexperienced. Harris has had four harrowing years as health minister. And he seemed to work 24 hours a day. The current political teams are ostensibly on the same side, so why not have health as a joint ministry, using the talents and experience of Harris and the new skills of Donnelly? The aim is to repair our health service, as quickly as possible.

The Government must put the welfare of our most vulnerable citizens ahead

of jobs for the boys. Health is, by far, our most important ministry. We must not tolerate a slow learning curve for the minister while our waiting lists grow longer and longer and our beloved relatives suffer in silence in nursing homes, care homes and hospitals.

Our last government handled the Covid-19 crisis almost perfectly. We need to see this talent extended to our new Government.

Patricia Moynihan

Castaheany, Co Dublin