Without clear health reform plans, we need sustained improvements on access to quality health and social care

From the Irish Independent on 19 December 2015

This week, there were more health headlines, emanating from a frank interview with HSE chief Tony O’Brien, the deferral of the INMO nurses’ strike action in emergency departments and the publication of the HSE 2016 service plan.

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Addressing the abortion issue

From the Medical Independent on 17 December 2015

This Government came to power with no intention of legislating on abortion. Its 2011 Programme for Government health section made five commitments under ‘bioethics’. Four of these five commitments promised legislation. On abortion, it carefully avoided any intent on enacting legislation. Irish politicians know the divisiveness of political debates on what are perceived as moral matters.

Kenny should recognise health service failings are ultimately his responsibility

Opinion in Irish Independent on 11 September 2014

Enda Kenny’s remark that he was not interested in endless volumes of explanations on why things can’t get done is fair comment for the leader of government.

One could reasonably expect, three and half years into office, that good progress would have been made on many of the 87 health commitments made in his own Programme for Government.

A pitch perfect start to the health ministry

My anaylsis on Leo’s first media outings in the Irish Independent from 8 August 2014

We need to know more about Leo (and where he stands on health policy matters)

As Dr Leo Varadkar takes the helm, little is known about where he stands on health issues, see below for column from Medical Independent on 24 July 2014. 

Using health as a test case of junior ministers’ usefulness

See below for article on junior ministers from the Irish Independent on 22 July 2014.

The absence of any real achievement by the vast majority of junior ministers must call into question the very necessity of all junior ministerial posts. They have no power to make decisions or allocate money and are really just there to champion a specific aspect of a government department that is perceived to need public and political attention. Let’s use health as a test case of junior ministerial usefulness. 

Health could make or break Leo

See below for column on how health could make or break Leo Varadkar, from the Irish Independent on 12 July 2014.

It should be no surprise to Leo Varadkar that he is the new Minister for Health, sure Paddy Power had him at the shortest odds for the health post for months.

What Enda Kenny needs from the next health minister

See here my analysis from the Irish Independent on 9 July 2014 – Who ever gets Health portfolio must hit the ground running

Why who is the next health minister actually matters

See below analysis on cabinet reshuffle from Irish Independent on 4 July 2014 – New minister must realise health service can’t take more cuts. 

Extra €500m prescription for health is no magic pill for bad policy choices

THE €500m supplementary health budget finally admitted to by the Taoiseach yesterday in the Dail was always inevitable and a direct result of shoddy political decisions made by his own government. See below for analysis from Irish Independent on 26 June 2014.