Varadkar ‘holding back plan to solve health crisis’

LEO Varadkar is undermining the all-party initiative to sort out the two-tier health crisis in this country, according to a key player.

Róisín Shortall said the Taoiseach is ‘picking and choosing’ which parts of the Sláintecare plan to implement. She said she asked four times in the past four months when a key position would be filled, only to be told ‘shortly’ every time.

The ten-year plan was published in May, but key personnel have still not been appointed. This is in spite of a growing crisis with almost 685,000 on waiting lists for treatment and 463 on trolleys, on just one day this week. Mr Varadkar said last week: ‘Based on the all-party Sláintecare report, we will implement a ten-year plan to modernise and streamline our health service.’ But Deputy Shortall, who chaired the Sláintecare committee, said: ‘Minister Harris has been supportive, but I feel Leo Varadkar is not showing the same commitment, he has not said he will accept Sláintecare fully. It’s a strategy, it’s not something you can pick and choose from. It’s not about the Government picking the nice bits.’

A senior official was meant to be appointed by July to lead the implementation office, so work could begin, but, after four questions on the appointment, it still hasn’t happened.