Prognosis right as Leo tackles medical cards

It will prove hard to create a ‘hierarchy of illnesses’, says Varadkar, tempering expectations of a quick fix, writes Political Editor Mary Regan

In the days running up to the Cabinet reshuffle, some colleagues of Leo Varadkar believed he would not become health minister, because the Taoiseach wanted to see a period where the department was kept out of the headlines.

One minister observed that, instead of treading carefully to avoid all the landmines in the department nicknamed Angola, Leo would walk in and pick up each explosive device and deal with them one at a time.