Taoiseach needs to step up and 'move along' Sláintecare after resignations

22/06/2021

The chair of the Sláintecare committee, Social Democrats co-leader Roisin Shortall has called on the Taoiseach to intervene to “move along” the plan.

It comes as two of the top officials behind Slaintecare, an initiative aimed at transforming Ireland’s health service, left the programme on Wednesday.

Laura Magahy, who was appointed as executive director in 2018, has resigned from her post.

Dr Tom Keane, chair of the Slaintecare Implementation Advisory Council, has also left after a three-year term he was appointed to in 2018, the Department of Health said.

Speaking to RTÉ radio's Morning Ireland, Ms Shortall said the resignations raised serious questions about the future of Sláintecare and the onus was now on the Minister for Health to explain why they had resigned.

She said was certain that their reasons would have been outlined in their resignation letters.

“The Minister and Secretary-General (of the Department of Health) owe it to the public to say what is the problem.” 

It was not hard to come to the conclusion that there was dissatisfaction and frustration with the slow progress of the plan, she said.

The Taoiseach should now step in to move this along, she urged.

“It's way overdue.” Ireland is the only European country that does not have a fully funded universal care system, she added.

“We're now four years into a 10 year programme of reform, but progress has been very slow.”

Many Ministers were happy to use Sláintecare as a brand, Ms Shortall said, but this had to be more than a rebrand, there needed to be reform and accountability.

Changes needed to be seen. Decisions needed to be made on the basis of need not politics, she added.