We've known for ages that the A&E crisis was a national emergency

DOESN'T time fly? Not so long ago, the A&E issue was hardly a little crisis in Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney's eye. A year and a half later, it has grown up to become a fully-blown national emergency.

It is the first time in the history of this present coalition, or the one before it, that a national emergency has been declared.

When Ms Harney insisted on taking over the health portfolio - or rather, fiasco - in the Cabinet mini-reshuffle just over 18 months ago, she believed she had a crisis on her hands.