Enda’s broken promises:

From Universal Health Insurance to Cronyism

UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE

Universal Health Insurance was supposed to pave the way to a more equal healthcare system. Former GP James Reilly, right, as Health Minister said he would abolish the two-tier healthcare system which saw public and private patients compete for treatment. Taoiseach Enda Kenny proclaimed in his Programme for Government speech there would be “equal access for all” once the new system was rolled out. Dr Reilly ran into difficulties when his Coalition colleagues began asking questions about how much this new system might cost. This led to angry exchanges between ministers and civil servants with some suggesting the average annual cost of a policy under the scheme could be in the region of €1,600. Newly appointed Health Minister Leo Varadkar kicked UHI so far down the road last week we won’t hear about it again for at least five years.

MEDICAL CARDS

Former Health Minister Reilly introduced an audit of discretionary medical cards soon after taking office.

The HSE was instructed to weed out social welfare fraudsters wrongly claiming benefits despite being fit and able. The audit, however, was far from discretionary and saw people with severe disabilities and terminal illnesses forced to justify their need for a medical card. The HSE reportedly asked people with Down syndrome if they still had the condition while sufferers of motor neuron disease were asked if they had improved.

There was a crescendo of public outrage before the recent elections and before people went to the polls the Government announced it would review the number of cards taken from sick people. Thousands of cards have since been returned but Labour and Fine Gael were sent a clear message by the electorate for showing such little compassion for the sick and elderly.

DISABILITY CUTS

Disability campaigner Joanne O’Riordan, right, who was born without limbs, forced Taoiseach Enda Kenny into an embarrassing U-turn on cuts to payments to young people with disabilities in 2011.

The then-15-year-old Cork girl released a video of the Taoiseach personally promising her not to cut disability benefits before he was elected. Within days, Mr Kenny announced he would reverse budget cuts to disability payments.

The following year, Dr Reilly climbed down on a decision to slash €10m from payments to personal assistants for people with disabilities. People with severe disabilities vowed to hold a vigil outside the Dail until the cut was reversed. The Government was once again embarrassed by the human impact of the cut and reversed the decision overnight.

SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANTS and DISADVANTAGED SCHOOLS

Former Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, right, put his hands up and said: “I admit that we got it wrong”, after he was forced to row back on cuts to disadvantaged schools. The Government planned to cut funding for hundreds of teachers in the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) scheme in Budget 2012. After weeks of pressure from teachers and parents, Mr Quinn halved the number of teaching posts he planned to axe. Mr Quinn was also forced into a U-turn on cuts to Special Needs Assistants (SNA) in schools. A planned 10pc budget cut was announced in Budget 2013 which would have vastly reduced the number of SNAs.

The Government again bowed to public pressure, reversed the decision and introduced 500 new SNA teaching posts.

SPECIAL ADVISOR SALARY CAP

Enda Kenny promised a new leaner Government when he eventually toppled Fianna Fail to become leader of the country. The public was led to believe the days of excessive spending were gone and the Government was focused on reining in finances.

One of the first promises he made on taking office was to cap the salaries of special advisers hired by ministers. Unfortunately, not long after he made this commitment, it emerged he had personally intervened so his long-time friend and former adviser could have his salary increased by €35,000. It later emerged the Government breached its own pay ceiling more than a dozen times to hire advisers and spin doctors.

CRONYISM

The Government also pledged to end the cronyism culture which had become synonymous with Fianna Fail governments. Plum posts for party activists or failed election candidates was supposed to end under the Fine Gael and Labour Coalition. Unfortunately, that has not been the case and there are numerous examples of members of both parties being appointed to State boards or SemiState boards. Members of the judiciary have also benefited through their association with the two parties.