Taoiseach’s ‘health check’ for departments

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern yesterday launched plans to review key Government departments — but the evaluation won’t begin until after the election.

It means any flaws in the performance of the departments — flaws for which ministers are ultimately responsible — won’t be known to the electorate on polling day.

Work on the “health check”, as Mr Ahern labelled it, will not begin until the summer — a full year after he had first announced the initiative.