Government 'committed' to Sláintecare despite high-profile departures

Three major officials involved in the programme, designed to overhaul Ireland's health service, have left since the start of September

Executive director of Slaintecare Laura Magahy resigned alongside chairperson Dr Tom Keane last month. They were followed out the door by gastroenterology professor Anthony O'Connor this week.

The Taoiseach says that confidence in Sláintecare can only be recovered through the implementation of the billion-euro programme designed to overhaul the country's health service.

Speaking at the Customs facility at Rosslare Port in Wexford, Micheál Martin said that the Government was "committed" to the programme, despite a number of high-profile resignations in recent weeks.

Mr Martin said that he spoke to Professor Tom Keane, former Chairperson of the Sláintecare Implementation Advisory Council, last week and met Laura Magahy, former Executive Director of the reform programme, to hear their concerns about the Sláintecare programme. Both resigned from the programme in early September and were followed by gastroenterology professor Anthony O'Connor this week.

"I think the most fundamental thing on the programme is delivery and the last Budget allocated €1.2bn for Sláintecare programmes.

Increased bed capacity

 That has worked in terms of increased bed capacity and diagnostics for GPs.

"Their (Ms Magahy and Mr Keane) issue seems to be more on the structural side in terms of the visibility and accountability. They felt the structure that had been created of a unit within the Department of Health was not optimal in terms of dealing with the Department and the HSE. We will now address those structural issues.

We're in office 15 months and we're very determined to deliver Sláintecare. The next big agenda item will be the elective facilities in Cork, Galway and Dublin and the consultant-only contract.

On Brexit, the Taoiseach said that he had not "picked up" on suggestions that a new British visa for haulage drivers would impact on Ireland's deliveries. He said that there are "wider issues" at play in the UK's fuel and food shortages. 

He said that it was "important that we take nothing for granted" and that it was important that Irish training facilities for HGV drivers were resourced. Mr Martin said that the global supply chain had been hit by the global recovery since the pandemic.

The Taoiseach said that he was confident Ireland would avoid similar scenes.