PD promises - Harney must deliver on health reform

THE Progressive Democrats celebrated 20 years of existence at the party’s national conference in Cork over the weekend. In those two decades the party has the distinction of being in government longer than any party other than Fianna Fáil.

Hence the Progressive Democrats have had a political influence far outweighing their numbers in the Dáil. The party’s influence on Fianna Fáil included the ouster from government of Tánaiste Brian Lenihan and Taoiseach Charles Haughey. Mary Harney, the current leader of the Progressives Democrats, has set her sights on reforming the health service.

As an astute politician, she realised that she was taking on the poison chalice of politics when she requested that portfolio.

The health service is in need of drastic reform, and she has had the courage of her convictions in taking it on. Ms Harney again outlined ambitious plans to reform the health service on a par with they way the economy was turned around in the past two decades.

She has promised to abolish the trolley queues in public hospitals, cut the waiting time for operations, have new hospital facilities built faster, provide better services for the disabled, and establish long-care facilities for the elderly.

The implementation of such promises is in the interest of everybody.